most career yards by running back player nfl

Emmitt Smith has the most career rushing yards by a running back, with 18,355 yards.

Interpreted as:

most career rushing yards by running back player NFL

	NAME	RUSH YDS	GP	ATT	YPC	RUSH YDS/G	RUSH TD	REC YDS	REC	TRG	AVG	REC YDS/G	REC TD
1	Emmitt Smith E. Smith	18,355	226	4,409	4.2	81.2	164	3,224	515	130	6.3	14.3	11
2	Walter Payton W. Payton	16,726	190	3,838	4.4	88.0	110	4,538	492		9.2	23.9	15
3	Frank Gore F. Gore	16,000	241	3,735	4.3	66.4	81	3,985	484	696	8.2	16.5	18
4	Barry Sanders B. Sanders	15,269	153	3,062	5.0	99.8	99	2,921	352		8.3	19.1	10
5	Adrian Peterson A. Peterson	14,918	184	3,230	4.6	81.1	120	2,474	305	423	8.1	13.4	6
6	Curtis Martin C. Martin	14,101	168	3,518	4.0	83.9	90	3,329	484	409	6.9	19.8	10
7	LaDainian Tomlinson L. Tomlinson	13,684	170	3,174	4.3	80.5	145	4,772	624	868	7.6	28.1	17
8	Jerome Bettis J. Bettis	13,662	192	3,479	3.9	71.2	91	1,449	200	100	7.2	7.5	3
9	Eric Dickerson E. Dickerson	13,259	146	2,996	4.4	90.8	90	2,137	281		7.6	14.6	6
10	Tony Dorsett T. Dorsett	12,739	173	2,936	4.3	73.6	77	3,554	398		8.9	20.5	13
11	Derrick Henry D. Henry	12,548	150	2,588	4.8	83.7	116	1,801	189	244	9.5	12.0	5
12	Jim Brown J. Brown	12,312	118	2,359	5.2	104.3	106	2,499	262		9.5	21.2	20
13	Marshall Faulk M. Faulk	12,279	176	2,836	4.3	69.8	100	6,875	767	606	9.0	39.1	36
14	Edgerrin James E. James	12,246	148	3,028	4.0	82.7	80	3,364	433	584	7.8	22.7	11
15	Marcus Allen M. Allen	12,243	222	3,022	4.1	55.1	123	5,411	587		9.2	24.4	21
16	Franco Harris F. Harris	12,120	173	2,949	4.1	70.1	91	2,287	307		7.4	13.2	9
17	Thurman Thomas T. Thomas	12,074	182	2,877	4.2	66.3	65	4,458	472	29	9.4	24.5	23
18	Fred Taylor F. Taylor	11,695	153	2,534	4.6	76.4	66	2,384	290	348	8.2	15.6	8
19	Steven Jackson S. Jackson	11,438	160	2,764	4.1	71.5	69	3,683	461	627	8.0	23.0	9
20	John Riggins J. Riggins	11,352	175	2,916	3.9	64.9	104	2,090	250		8.4	11.9	12
21	Corey Dillon C. Dillon	11,241	150	2,618	4.3	74.9	82	1,913	244	278	7.8	12.8	7
22	O.J. Simpson	11,236	135	2,404	4.7	83.2	61	2,142	203		10.6	15.9	14
23	LeSean McCoy L. McCoy	11,102	170	2,457	4.5	65.3	73	3,898	518	665	7.5	22.9	16
24	Warrick Dunn W. Dunn	10,967	181	2,669	4.1	60.6	49	4,339	510	594	8.5	24.0	15
25	Ricky Watters R. Watters	10,643	144	2,622	4.1	73.9	78	4,248	467	176	9.1	29.5	13

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StatMuse has season-level data for rushing yards going back to the 1932 season.

More Cowboys Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

3,931

Prescott

RUSH

1,113

Williams

REC

1,212

Pickens

Team Rankings

PPG

29.1

4th

OPP PPG

30.0

31st

RUSH YDS/G

120.8

15th

PASS YDS/G

287.9

1st

2025 Division Standings

TEAM	W	L	T	PCT
Eagles	9	5	0	.643
Cowboys	6	7	1	.464
Commanders	4	10	0	.286
Giants	2	12	0	.143

Schedule

DATE	MATCHUP			TIME (ET)
Sun 12/21	LAC	@	DAL	1:00 PM
Thu 12/25	DAL	@	WAS	1:00 PM
Sun 1/4	DAL	@	NYG	1:00 PM

Last Game

Vikings

6 - 8

Final

Cowboys

6 - 7 - 1

Sun 14 Dec 2025

NFL 2025 Leaders

Pass Yards Leaders

3,931

Prescott

3,722

Stafford

3,672

Goff

Rush Yards Leaders

1,443

Taylor

1,415

Cook

1,186

Achane

Rec Yards Leaders

1,541

Smith-Njigba

1,367

Nacua

1,212

Pickens

Pass TD Leaders

37

Stafford

29

Goff

26

Prescott

Rush TD Leaders

16

Taylor

13

Gibbs

13

Jacobs

Rec TD Leaders

14

Adams

11

St. Brown

10

McBride

QB Rating Leaders

112.2

Stafford

110.4

Goff

109.1

Maye

Sack Leaders

21.5

Garrett

13.0

Burns

12.5

Parsons

NFL 2025 Rankings

PPG Rankings

30.6

30.0

29.4

29.1

28.9

28.0

Opp PPG Rankings

16.3

17.3

18.6

19.1

19.4

Total Yards Rankings

396.9

383.6

381.2

379.9

369.1

364.2

Rush Yards Rankings

158.5

151.9

146.2

137.1

131.1

128.5

Pass Yards Rankings

287.9

265.9

262.5

262.0

257.8

256.6

Sack Leaders

58.0

48.0

47.0

42.0

40.0

NFL Fantasy 2025

Fantasy RB Rankings

284.1

Taylor

258.2

McCaffrey

255.4

Gibbs

Fantasy WR Rankings

209.7

Smith-Njigba

184.8

Nacua

180.9

St. Brown

Fantasy TE Rankings

167.1

McBride

111.8

Kelce

109.1

Goedert

Fantasy K Rankings

182

Myers

160.6

Aubrey

153

Dicker

NFL 2025 Betting

Best Record ATS

10-4

9-4-1

9-5

Worst Record ATS

5-9

NFL 2025 Standings

AFC East	W	L	T	PCT
Patriots	11	3	0	.786
Bills	10	4	0	.714
Dolphins - e	6	8	0	.429
Jets - e	3	11	0	.214
AFC North	W	L	T	PCT
Steelers	8	6	0	.571
Ravens	7	7	0	.500
Bengals - e	4	10	0	.286
Browns - e	3	11	0	.214
AFC South	W	L	T	PCT
Jaguars	10	4	0	.714
Texans	9	5	0	.643
Colts	8	6	0	.571
Titans - e	2	12	0	.143
AFC West	W	L	T	PCT
Broncos - x	12	2	0	.857
Chargers	10	4	0	.714
Chiefs - e	6	8	0	.429
Raiders - e	2	12	0	.143

NFC East	W	L	T	PCT
Eagles	9	5	0	.643
Cowboys	6	7	1	.464
Commanders - e	4	10	0	.286
Giants - e	2	12	0	.143
NFC North	W	L	T	PCT
Bears	10	4	0	.714
Packers	9	4	1	.679
Lions	8	6	0	.571
Vikings - e	6	8	0	.429
NFC South	W	L	T	PCT
Buccaneers	7	7	0	.500
Panthers	7	7	0	.500
Falcons - e	5	9	0	.357
Saints - e	4	10	0	.286
NFC West	W	L	T	PCT
Rams - x	11	3	0	.786
Seahawks	11	3	0	.786
49ers	10	4	0	.714
Cardinals - e	3	11	0	.214