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SPORTS
National Football League (NFL) *Player Records*
Most Rushing Yards
This list features the players with the most rushing yards in the history of the National Football League (NFL).
RANK | PLAYERS | CARRIES | YARDS | YEARS |
1 | Emmitt Smith | 4,409 | 18,355 | 1990–2004 |
2 | Walter Payton | 3,838 | 16,726 | 1975–1987 |
3 | Frank Gore | 3,735 | 16,000 | 2005–2020 |
4 | Barry Sanders | 3,063 | 15,269 | 1989–1998 |
5 | Adrian Peterson | 3,230 | 14,918 | 2007–2021 |
6 | Curtis Martin | 3,518 | 14,101 | 1995–2005 |
7 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 3,174 | 13,684 | 2001–2011 |
8 | Jerome Bettis | 3,479 | 13,662 | 1993–2005 |
9 | Eric Dickerson | 2,996 | 13,259 | 1983–1993 |
10 | Derrick Henry | 2,662 | 13,018 | 2016–present |
References
StatMuse (2025) Most Rushing Yards by an NFL Player in History. Available at: https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask?q=player+with+the+most+rushing+yards+all-time+nfl (Accessed: 1 December 2025).
Wikipedia (2025) List of NFL Career Rushing Yards Leaders. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NFL_career_rushing_yards_leaders (Accessed: 1 December 2025).
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