all-time most rush attempts running back single game nfl

Emmitt Smith has the most career carries by a running back, with 4,409 carries.

NAMEATTGPRUSH YDSYPCRUSH YDS/GRUSH TDREC YDSRECTRGAVGREC YDS/GREC TD
1Emmitt Smith
E. Smith
4,409
226
18,355
4.2
81.2
164
3,224
515
130
6.3
14.3
11
2Walter Payton
W. Payton
3,838
190
16,726
4.4
88.0
110
4,538
492
9.2
23.9
15
3Frank Gore
F. Gore
3,735
240
16,000
4.3
66.7
81
3,985
484
696
8.2
16.6
18
4Curtis Martin
C. Martin
3,518
168
14,101
4.0
83.9
90
3,329
484
409
6.9
19.8
10
5Jerome Bettis
J. Bettis
3,479
190
13,662
3.9
71.9
91
1,449
200
100
7.2
7.6
3
6Adrian Peterson
A. Peterson
3,230
184
14,918
4.6
81.1
120
2,474
305
423
8.1
13.4
6
7LaDainian Tomlinson
L. Tomlinson
3,174
170
13,684
4.3
80.5
145
4,772
624
868
7.6
28.1
17
8Barry Sanders
B. Sanders
3,062
153
15,269
5.0
99.8
99
2,921
352
8.3
19.1
10
9Edgerrin James
E. James
3,028
148
12,246
4.0
82.7
80
3,364
433
584
7.8
22.7
11
10Marcus Allen
M. Allen
3,022
220
12,243
4.1
55.7
123
5,411
587
9.2
24.6
21
11Eric Dickerson
E. Dickerson
2,996
145
13,259
4.4
91.4
90
2,137
281
7.6
14.7
6
12Franco Harris
F. Harris
2,949
172
12,120
4.1
70.5
91
2,285
306
7.5
13.3
9
13Tony Dorsett
T. Dorsett
2,936
172
12,739
4.3
74.1
77
3,554
398
8.9
20.7
13
14John Riggins
J. Riggins
2,916
173
11,352
3.9
65.6
104
2,090
250
8.4
12.1
12
15Thurman Thomas
T. Thomas
2,877
179
12,074
4.2
67.5
65
4,456
471
27
9.5
24.9
22
16Eddie George
E. George
2,865
141
10,441
3.6
74.0
68
2,227
268
269
8.3
15.8
10
17Marshall Faulk
M. Faulk
2,836
174
12,279
4.3
70.6
100
6,872
766
604
9.0
39.5
36
18Steven Jackson
S. Jackson
2,764
160
11,438
4.1
71.5
69
3,683
461
627
8.0
23.0
9
19Thomas Jones
T. Jones
2,678
178
10,591
4.0
59.5
68
1,994
307
408
6.5
11.2
3
20Warrick Dunn
W. Dunn
2,669
181
10,967
4.1
60.6
49
4,339
510
594
8.5
24.0
15
21Derrick Henry
D. Henry
2,662
152
13,018
4.9
85.6
122
1,801
189
245
9.5
11.8
5
22Ricky Watters
R. Watters
2,622
144
10,643
4.1
73.9
78
4,248
467
176
9.1
29.5
13
23Corey Dillon
C. Dillon
2,618
147
11,241
4.3
76.5
82
1,913
244
278
7.8
13.0
7
24Ottis Anderson
O. Anderson
2,562
161
10,273
4.0
63.8
81
3,004
367
8.2
18.7
5
25Jamal Lewis
J. Lewis
2,542
131
10,607
4.2
81.0
58
1,879
221
298
8.5
14.3
4
StatMuse has game-level data for rush attempts going back to the 1960 season.

More NFL News

More Cowboys Stats

Team Leaders

PASS

4,552

Prescott

Dak Prescott

RUSH

1,201

Williams

Javonte Williams

REC

1,429

Pickens

George Pickens
Team Rankings

PPG

27.7

7th

OPP PPG

30.1

32nd

RUSH YDS/G

125.6

9th

PASS YDS/G

278.5

1st

2025 Division Standings
TEAMWLTPCT
11
6
0
.647
Cowboys Cowboys
7
9
1
.441
5
12
0
.294
4
13
0
.235
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sun
9/13
@
8:20 PM
Sun
9/20
@
4:25 PM
Sun
9/27
@
4:25 PM
Sun
10/4
@
1:00 PM
Thu
10/8
@
8:15 PM
Last Game
DAL Cowboys

7 - 9 - 1

17

Final

34

NYG Giants

4 - 13

Sun 4 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

NFL 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Sun
10/12
@
29-27
Sun
10/12
@
27-30
Sun
10/12
@
25-19
Sun
10/12
@
10-20
Sun
10/12
@
18-27

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Wed
9/9
@
8:20 PM
Thu
9/10
@
8:35 PM
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM
Sun
9/13
@
1:00 PM