most nfl yards by a running back from 1977 to 1988

Between the 1977 and 1988 seasons, Walter Payton had the most rushing yards by a running back, with 14,657 yards.

Interpreted as:
most NFL rushing yards by a running back from 1977 to 1988
NAMERUSH YDSGPATTYPCRUSH YDS/GRUSH TDREC YDSRECTRGAVGREC YDS/GREC TD
1Walter Payton
W. Payton
14,657
163
3,331
4.4
89.9
90
4,176
444
9.4
25.6
15
2Tony Dorsett
T. Dorsett
12,739
173
2,936
4.3
73.6
77
3,554
398
8.9
20.5
13
3Eric Dickerson
E. Dickerson
9,915
90
2,136
4.6
110.2
75
1,422
172
8.3
15.8
3
4Earl Campbell
E. Campbell
9,407
115
2,187
4.3
81.8
74
806
121
6.7
7.0
0
5Ottis Anderson
O. Anderson
8,294
127
1,949
4.3
65.3
55
2,614
319
8.2
20.6
5
6Mike Pruitt
M. Pruitt
7,240
139
1,792
4.0
52.1
51
1,834
262
7.0
13.2
5
7George Rogers
G. Rogers
7,176
92
1,692
4.2
78.0
54
368
55
6.7
4.0
0
8Franco Harris
F. Harris
6,987
107
1,814
3.9
65.3
49
1,473
202
7.3
13.8
6
9Marcus Allen
M. Allen
6,982
97
1,712
4.1
72.0
61
3,470
368
9.4
35.8
16
10John Riggins
J. Riggins
6,900
100
1,826
3.8
69.0
76
756
100
7.6
7.6
5
11Freeman McNeil
F. McNeil
6,794
92
1,525
4.5
73.8
28
2,211
225
9.8
24.0
11
12Wilbert Montgomery
W. Montgomery
6,789
107
1,540
4.4
63.4
45
2,502
273
9.2
23.4
12
13Gerald Riggs
G. Riggs
6,631
91
1,587
4.2
72.9
48
1,384
186
7.4
15.2
0
14Wendell Tyler
W. Tyler
6,378
108
1,344
4.7
59.1
50
1,816
202
9.0
16.8
16
15Curt Warner
C. Warner
6,074
77
1,455
4.2
78.9
52
1,314
170
7.7
17.1
6
16Chuck Muncie
C. Muncie
6,043
98
1,412
4.3
61.7
69
2,051
232
8.8
20.9
3
17William Andrews
W. Andrews
5,986
87
1,315
4.6
68.8
30
2,647
277
9.6
30.4
11
18James Wilder
J. Wilder
5,713
98
1,505
3.8
58.3
37
3,157
394
8.0
32.2
6
19Pete Johnson
P. Johnson
5,626
110
1,489
3.8
51.1
76
1,334
175
7.6
12.1
6
20Roger Craig
R. Craig
5,571
94
1,274
4.4
59.3
43
3,768
434
8.7
40.1
15
21Joe Cribbs
J. Cribbs
5,356
102
1,309
4.1
52.5
27
2,199
224
9.8
21.6
15
22Joe Morris
J. Morris
5,296
94
1,318
4.0
56.3
48
884
98
9.0
9.4
2
23Billy Sims
B. Sims
5,106
60
1,131
4.5
85.1
42
2,072
186
11.1
34.5
5
24James Brooks
J. Brooks
5,104
109
1,099
4.6
46.8
35
2,699
278
9.7
24.8
22
25Sammy Winder
S. Winder
4,956
96
1,343
3.7
51.6
35
1,066
166
6.4
11.1
9
StatMuse has season-level data for rushing yards going back to the 1932 season.

More Bears Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

3,942

Williams

Caleb Williams

RUSH

1,087

Swift

D'Andre Swift

REC

713

Loveland

Colston Loveland
Team Rankings

PPG

25.9

9th

OPP PPG

24.4

23rd

RUSH YDS/G

144.5

3rd

PASS YDS/G

234.8

12th

2025 Division Standings
TEAMWLTPCT
Bears Bears
11
6
0
.647
9
7
1
.559
9
8
0
.529
9
8
0
.529
Last Game
LAR Rams

2 - 0

20

Final

17

CHI Bears

1 - 1

Sun 18 Jan 2026

NFL 2025 Leaders

NFL 2025 Rankings

NFL Fantasy 2025

NFL 2025 Betting

NFL 2025 Standings

AFC EastWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
Bills Bills - w
12
5
0
.706
7
10
0
.412
Jets Jets - e
3
14
0
.176
AFC NorthWLTPCT
10
7
0
.588
8
9
0
.471
6
11
0
.353
5
12
0
.294
AFC SouthWLTPCT
13
4
0
.765
12
5
0
.706
Colts Colts - e
8
9
0
.471
3
14
0
.176
AFC WestWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
11
6
0
.647
6
11
0
.353
3
14
0
.176
NFC EastWLTPCT
11
6
0
.647
7
9
1
.441
5
12
0
.294
4
13
0
.235
NFC NorthWLTPCT
Bears Bears - y
11
6
0
.647
9
7
1
.559
9
8
0
.529
Lions Lions - e
9
8
0
.529
NFC SouthWLTPCT
8
9
0
.471
8
9
0
.471
8
9
0
.471
6
11
0
.353
NFC WestWLTPCT
14
3
0
.824
Rams Rams - w
12
5
0
.706
49ers 49ers - w
12
5
0
.706
3
14
0
.176