Derrick Henry leads all non-retired NFL players with 13,018 regular-season rushing yards through the 2025 season. Saquon Barkley ranks second with 8,356, leaving a 4,662-yard gap between the top two players on the active career rushing leaderboard.
This list includes players at every position and counts unsigned free agents as active unless they have retired or indicated that their playing career is over. Player status was checked through August 18, 2026. For broader historical context, see the most rushing yards in NFL history and the most rushing yards in a single season.
Table of Contents
- How This List Works
- Tier 1: 13,000+ Rushing Yards
- Tier 2: 11,750+ Rushing Yards
- Tier 3: 10,500+ Rushing Yards
- Tier 4: 9,250+ Rushing Yards
- Tier 5: 8,000+ Rushing Yards
- Tier 6: 6,750+ Rushing Yards
- Tier 7: 5,500+ Rushing Yards
- Biggest Takeaways
- Top 50 Active Career Rushing Yards Leaders
- FAQ
- Conclusion
- More NFL Rankings
How This List Works
The ranking uses career regular-season rushing yards through the end of the 2025 NFL season. It is an objective statistical leaderboard, so quarterbacks and hybrid players qualify alongside running backs. Postseason rushing yards are not included.
Free agents remain eligible because being unsigned is not the same as being retired. Russell Wilson is excluded after announcing his retirement in June 2026. Joe Mixon is also excluded after July 2026 reporting that he had told former teammates his playing career was over. Every player shown in the table was checked for retirement news through August 18, 2026.
The seven graphics divide the highest totals into fixed yardage bands and stop at 5,500 yards. The complete table extends the leaderboard to 50 players, ending with Zack Moss at 2,318 yards.
Tier 1: 13,000+ Rushing Yards
Tier 1 features Derrick Henry with 13,018 career rushing yards.
Derrick Henry: 13,018 Rushing Yards
Derrick Henry is the only non-retired player above 13,000 career rushing yards. His total comes from 2,662 carries across 153 regular-season games, and his 4.9 yards per attempt show that the workload has not been empty volume.
Henry combines rare durability with a rushing style built for explosive gains despite his size. He has also continued producing well beyond the typical peak for an NFL running back, which is why his 4,662-yard lead over Barkley is the defining feature of this list. His broader standing is examined in our ranking of the best running backs of all-time.
Tier 2: 11,750+ Rushing Yards
Tier 2 represents the 11,750-plus career rushing yards range, with no player shown in this tier.
No eligible player falls between 11,750 and 12,999 rushing yards. Henry has already cleared the band, while Barkley would need another 3,394 yards to reach its lower boundary.
Tier 3: 10,500+ Rushing Yards
Tier 3 represents the 10,500-plus career rushing yards range, with no player shown in this tier.
Tier 3 is also empty. A 10,000-yard career has become harder to build as teams divide carries among multiple backs and move on from veterans earlier, leaving no second active player especially close to this range.
Tier 4: 9,250+ Rushing Yards
Tier 4 represents the 9,250-plus career rushing yards range, with no player shown in this tier.
The final empty band sits between 9,250 and 10,499 yards. Barkley enters the 2026 season 894 yards short of Tier 4, making him the only player with a realistic one-season path into any of the three empty tiers.
Tier 5: 8,000+ Rushing Yards
Tier 5 features Saquon Barkley with 8,356 career rushing yards.
Saquon Barkley: 8,356 Rushing Yards
Saquon Barkley is the only player in the 8,000-yard tier. His combination of breakaway speed, lateral agility and receiving value has remained effective through injuries and a change of teams.
Barkley is still far behind Henry, but he has a 553-yard advantage over Josh Jacobs for second place. His Philadelphia production also gives him a growing place among the best Philadelphia Eagles running backs of all-time.
Tier 6: 6,750+ Rushing Yards
Tier 6 features Josh Jacobs with 7,803 rushing yards, Aaron Jones with 7,626, Jonathan Taylor with 7,598, Christian McCaffrey with 7,589, Nick Chubb with 7,349, and Alvin Kamara with 7,250.
Tier 6 is the deepest band in the graphic. Only 553 yards separate Josh Jacobs from Alvin Kamara, while Jonathan Taylor and Christian McCaffrey are separated by just nine yards.
Josh Jacobs: 7,803 Rushing Yards
Josh Jacobs leads the group through a combination of workload, contact balance and availability. He has surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards in every season of his career, giving him a dependable base from which to keep climbing.
Aaron Jones: 7,626 Rushing Yards
Aaron Jones has paired 7,626 rushing yards with strong receiving production and a career average close to five yards per carry. His burst and patience produced one of the strongest rushing résumés in Green Bay history, reflected in the Packers’ career rushing leaderboard.
Jonathan Taylor: 7,598 Rushing Yards
Jonathan Taylor owns the highest rushing-yards-per-game average among the six players in Tier 6. His blend of volume and long speed gives him a strong chance to move past multiple veterans if he stays healthy.
Christian McCaffrey: 7,589 Rushing Yards
Christian McCaffrey sits only nine yards behind Taylor. His rushing total understates his overall value because he has also produced 5,390 receiving yards, but the ground production alone places him firmly among the active leaders and on the San Francisco 49ers’ rushing leaderboard.
Nick Chubb: 7,349 Rushing Yards
Nick Chubb remains eligible as an unsigned free agent because he has not retired. At his best, his vision, balance and acceleration made him one of the league’s most efficient high-volume runners. Injury setbacks have slowed his rise, but his existing total still places him seventh among non-retired players.
Alvin Kamara: 7,250 Rushing Yards
Alvin Kamara closes Tier 6 with 7,250 rushing yards. Like McCaffrey, he has created much of his value as a receiver, yet his rushing longevity is strong enough to keep him inside the top eight overall.
Tier 7: 5,500+ Rushing Yards
Tier 7 features Lamar Jackson with 6,522 rushing yards, David Montgomery with 6,115, James Conner with 6,065, Tony Pollard with 5,782, and Kareem Hunt with 5,775.
Tier 7 contains four running backs and Lamar Jackson. Only seven yards separate Tony Pollard and Kareem Hunt at the bottom of the tier, while Jackson holds a 407-yard lead over David Montgomery.
Lamar Jackson: 6,522 Rushing Yards
Lamar Jackson is the highest-ranked quarterback and the only quarterback shown in the tier graphics. His 6.0 career yards per carry are not the product of a small sample. He has 1,081 rushing attempts, which separates his résumé from other mobile quarterbacks. His place in league history is covered further in the career quarterback rushing leaders.
David Montgomery: 6,115 Rushing Yards
David Montgomery has built his total through difficult inside work, contact balance and consistent red-zone usage. He has remained productive across different offensive systems, and his early career already places him on the Chicago Bears’ career rushing leaderboard.
James Conner: 6,065 Rushing Yards
James Conner is only 50 yards behind Montgomery. His career shows how steady short-yardage and early-down production can compound even without a single 1,200-yard rushing season.
Tony Pollard: 5,782 Rushing Yards
Tony Pollard has moved from an explosive change-of-pace role into heavier workloads without losing his big-play ability. He enters 2026 just seven yards ahead of Hunt and 214 yards from 6,000.
Kareem Hunt: 5,775 Rushing Yards
Kareem Hunt remains on the list as a free agent who has not retired. His 611 rushing yards in 2025 kept him inside the top 13, and his two stints in Kansas City also put him among the Chiefs’ career rushing leaders.
Biggest Takeaways
Henry has more than a one-season lead
The 4,662-yard difference between Henry and Barkley is larger than Josh Allen’s entire 4,721-yard career total. Even a league-leading season from Barkley would leave Henry comfortably ahead if Henry added no yards at all.
The empty tiers reveal the real separation
There are no eligible players from 8,357 through 13,017 yards. That uninterrupted gap covers all of Tiers 2, 3 and 4 and most of the space above Barkley in Tier 5.
Quarterbacks occupy one-fifth of the top 50
Nine traditional quarterbacks make the table, and Taysom Hill adds a tenth player whose career has included extensive quarterback work. Lamar Jackson leads the group, but Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Justin Fields, Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Mariota and Tyrod Taylor also qualify on rushing production alone.
The middle of the list can change quickly
James Cook, Bijan Robinson, Kyren Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs have all reached the top 30 in four or fewer seasons. Their shorter accumulation windows make them the most likely players to produce large year-to-year jumps once the 2026 totals are added.
Top 50 Active Career Rushing Yards Leaders
| Rank | Player | Rushing Yards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derrick Henry | 13,018 |
| 2 | Saquon Barkley | 8,356 |
| 3 | Josh Jacobs | 7,803 |
| 4 | Aaron Jones | 7,626 |
| 5 | Jonathan Taylor | 7,598 |
| 6 | Christian McCaffrey | 7,589 |
| 7 | Nick Chubb | 7,349 |
| 8 | Alvin Kamara | 7,250 |
| 9 | Lamar Jackson | 6,522 |
| 10 | David Montgomery | 6,115 |
| 11 | James Conner | 6,065 |
| 12 | Tony Pollard | 5,782 |
| 13 | Kareem Hunt | 5,775 |
| 14 | Devin Singletary | 4,923 |
| 15 | D’Andre Swift | 4,775 |
| 16 | Austin Ekeler | 4,765 |
| 17 | Josh Allen | 4,721 |
| 18 | Miles Sanders | 4,462 |
| 19 | Najee Harris | 4,373 |
| 20 | James Cook | 4,259 |
| 21 | Bijan Robinson | 3,910 |
| 22 | Raheem Mostert | 3,895 |
| 23 | Kyren Williams | 3,834 |
| 24 | Travis Etienne | 3,798 |
| 25 | Chuba Hubbard | 3,686 |
| 26 | Rhamondre Stevenson | 3,669 |
| 27 | Aaron Rodgers | 3,634 |
| 28 | Javonte Williams | 3,595 |
| 29 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 3,580 |
| 30 | Kenneth Walker III | 3,555 |
| 31 | Jalen Hurts | 3,554 |
| 32 | Breece Hall | 3,398 |
| 33 | Antonio Gibson | 3,287 |
| 34 | Kyler Murray | 3,193 |
| 35 | De’Von Achane | 3,057 |
| 36 | J.K. Dobbins | 3,024 |
| 37 | Justin Fields | 2,892 |
| 38 | Tyler Allgeier | 2,876 |
| 39 | Alexander Mattison | 2,790 |
| 40 | Brian Robinson Jr. | 2,729 |
| 41 | Patrick Mahomes | 2,665 |
| 42 | Rachaad White | 2,656 |
| 43 | Jaylen Warren | 2,632 |
| 44 | Taysom Hill | 2,551 |
| 45 | Rico Dowdle | 2,540 |
| 46 | Isiah Pacheco | 2,537 |
| 47 | AJ Dillon | 2,488 |
| 48 | Marcus Mariota | 2,453 |
| 49 | Tyrod Taylor | 2,426 |
| 50 | Zack Moss | 2,318 |
FAQ
Who has the most career rushing yards among active NFL players?
Derrick Henry leads all non-retired NFL players with 13,018 regular-season rushing yards through the 2025 season.
Are unsigned free agents included?
Yes. A player does not need to be under contract to qualify. Unsigned players remain eligible unless they retire or indicate that their playing career is over.
Why are quarterbacks included?
The leaderboard ranks every NFL player by rushing yards rather than ranking running backs only. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and other quarterbacks therefore qualify on the same statistical standard.
Do these totals include the playoffs?
No. The totals cover regular-season rushing yards through the end of the 2025 season.
When was player eligibility checked?
Retirement and free-agent status were checked through August 18, 2026. The yardage totals will remain unchanged until players add regular-season rushing yards in 2026.
Conclusion
Derrick Henry’s 13,018 rushing yards place him in a category by himself among players who have not retired. Barkley is the only other eligible player above 8,000 yards, while the tightly packed group from Jacobs through Kamara creates the most immediate movement to watch behind the top two.
The complete top 50 also shows that the modern rushing leaderboard is no longer limited to feature backs. Ten players with substantial quarterback experience make the cutoff, and several young running backs are already positioned to climb rapidly once the 2026 season begins.
More NFL Rankings
Follow @sogfootball for the most up-to-date NFL content.
