nfl rushing leaders before 1999

Before 1999, Walter Payton had the most rushing yards, with 16,726 yards.

NAMERUSH YDSGPATTYPCRUSH YDS/GRUSH TDREC YDSRECTRGAVGREC YDS/GREC TD
1Walter Payton
W. Payton
16,726
190
3,838
4.4
88.0
110
4,538
492
9.2
23.9
15
2Barry Sanders
B. Sanders
15,269
153
3,062
5.0
99.8
99
2,921
352
8.3
19.1
10
3Eric Dickerson
E. Dickerson
13,259
146
2,996
4.4
90.8
90
2,137
281
7.6
14.6
6
4Tony Dorsett
T. Dorsett
12,739
173
2,936
4.3
73.6
77
3,554
398
8.9
20.5
13
5Emmitt Smith
E. Smith
12,566
140
2,914
4.3
89.8
125
2,609
415
6.3
18.6
9
6Jim Brown
J. Brown
12,312
118
2,359
5.2
104.3
106
2,499
262
9.5
21.2
20
7Marcus Allen
M. Allen
12,243
222
3,022
4.1
55.1
123
5,411
587
9.2
24.4
21
8Franco Harris
F. Harris
12,120
173
2,949
4.1
70.1
91
2,287
307
7.4
13.2
9
9Thurman Thomas
T. Thomas
11,786
168
2,813
4.2
70.2
65
4,304
453
9.5
25.6
21
10John Riggins
J. Riggins
11,352
175
2,916
3.9
64.9
104
2,090
250
8.4
11.9
12
11O.J. Simpson
O.J. Simpson
11,236
135
2,404
4.7
83.2
61
2,142
203
10.6
15.9
14
12Ottis Anderson
O. Anderson
10,273
182
2,562
4.0
56.4
81
3,062
376
8.1
16.8
5
13Earl Campbell
E. Campbell
9,407
115
2,187
4.3
81.8
74
806
121
6.7
7.0
0
14Jim Taylor
J. Taylor
8,597
129
1,941
4.4
66.6
83
1,756
225
7.8
13.6
10
15Joe Perry
J. Perry
8,378
156
1,737
4.8
53.7
53
1,796
241
7.5
11.5
8
16Earnest Byner
E. Byner
8,261
211
2,095
3.9
39.2
56
4,605
512
9.0
21.8
15
17Herschel Walker
H. Walker
8,225
187
1,954
4.2
44.0
61
4,859
512
9.5
26.0
21
18Roger Craig
R. Craig
8,189
165
1,991
4.1
49.6
56
4,911
566
8.7
29.8
17
19Gerald Riggs
G. Riggs
8,188
129
1,989
4.1
63.5
69
1,516
201
7.5
11.8
0
20Larry Csonka
L. Csonka
8,081
146
1,891
4.3
55.3
64
820
106
7.7
5.6
4
21Freeman McNeil
F. McNeil
8,074
144
1,798
4.5
56.1
38
2,961
295
10.0
20.6
12
22James Brooks
J. Brooks
7,962
162
1,685
4.7
49.1
49
3,621
383
9.5
22.4
30
23Ricky Watters
R. Watters
7,873
107
1,947
4.0
73.6
65
3,141
353
8.9
29.4
9
24Mike Pruitt
M. Pruitt
7,378
152
1,844
4.0
48.5
51
1,860
270
6.9
12.2
5
25Jerome Bettis
J. Bettis
7,372
93
1,807
4.1
79.3
34
965
128
7.5
10.4
3
StatMuse has season-level data for rushing yards going back to the 1932 season.

More Bears Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

3,400

Williams

Caleb Williams

RUSH

993

Swift

D'Andre Swift

REC

664

Moore

DJ Moore
Team Rankings

PPG

25.8

10th

OPP PPG

23.6

19th

RUSH YDS/G

152.1

3rd

PASS YDS/G

229.9

17th

2025 Division Standings
TEAMWLTPCT
Bears Bears
11
4
0
.733
9
6
1
.594
8
8
0
.500
8
8
0
.500
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sun
12/28
@
8:20 PM
Sun
1/4
@
1:00 PM
Last Game
GB Packers

9 - 5 - 1

16

Final

22

CHI Bears

11 - 4

Sat 20 Dec 2025

NFL 2025 Leaders

NFL 2025 Rankings

NFL Fantasy 2025

NFL 2025 Betting

NFL 2025 Standings

AFC EastWLTPCT
12
3
0
.800
Bills Bills - x
11
4
0
.733
6
9
0
.400
Jets Jets - e
3
12
0
.200
AFC NorthWLTPCT
9
6
0
.600
8
8
0
.500
5
10
0
.333
3
12
0
.200
AFC SouthWLTPCT
11
4
0
.733
11
5
0
.688
Colts Colts - e
8
7
0
.533
3
12
0
.200
AFC WestWLTPCT
13
3
0
.813
11
5
0
.688
6
10
0
.375
2
13
0
.133
NFC EastWLTPCT
10
5
0
.667
7
8
1
.469
4
12
0
.250
2
13
0
.133
NFC NorthWLTPCT
Bears Bears - y
11
4
0
.733
9
6
1
.594
8
8
0
.500
Lions Lions - e
8
8
0
.500
NFC SouthWLTPCT
8
7
0
.533
7
8
0
.467
6
9
0
.400
5
10
0
.333
NFC WestWLTPCT
12
3
0
.800
49ers 49ers - x
11
4
0
.733
Rams Rams - x
11
4
0
.733
3
12
0
.200

NFL 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Sat
9/20
@
14-31
Sat
9/20
@
22-9
Sun
9/21
@
38-30
Wed
9/24
@
23-20
Sat
9/27
@
21-24

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sun
12/28
@
1:00 PM
Sun
12/28
@
1:00 PM
Sun
12/28
@
1:00 PM
Sun
12/28
@
1:00 PM
Sun
12/28
@
1:00 PM