Every 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history

12/09/2024 07:18 PM

It is only Week 14, but Saquon Barkley is already having one of the best seasons as a running back ever. After a 124-yard performance, the Philadelphia Eagles running back officially broke the franchise’s all-time rushing record. Barkley surpassed LeSean McCoy for the best rushing season in Eagles history in a very timely fashion, but he has his eyes on something even bigger. Barkley is on pace for a 2,000-yard season, which is the benchmark for the most elite running back seasons in NFL history.

Only eight players have ever run for over 2,000 yards, and Barkley is on pace to shatter the single-season rushing record. He currently has 1,623 yards in only 13 games of action. The Penn State product came into Week 14 averaging 124 yards per game, and then he rushed for exactly 124 yards against the Carolina Panthers, which means he is on pace for 2,243 rushing yards.

Eric Dickerson is the current single-season rushing yards leader with 2,105, and while Barkley certainly has the luxury of a 17-game season, there is no denying how impressive he has been in his first year with the Eagles. So, check out the gallery to take a look at every 2,000-yard rusher ever as Barkley tries to join the elitist of elite running back company.

O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills (1973): 2,003 yards

O.J. Simpson might be more known for his post-NFL life, as he was the face of one of the biggest trials in American history after allegedly killing his wife and her friend. Before that, though, Simpson was one of the first great running backs in all of football, both at the professional and collegiate levels.

At USC, Simpson is responsible for one of the best Heisman Trophy-winning seasons ever, and in the NFL, he became the first running back to ever rush for 2,000 yards. Even though every 2,000-yard rusher since him racked up more yards on the ground than he did, Simpson’s 2,000-yard season is still arguably the most impressive ever.

That is because every running back on this list played with a 16-game season, except for Simpson, who only needed 14 games to make history. Simpson averaged six yards per carry en route to 143.1 rushing yards per game, which still stands as the NFL record.

Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams (1984): 2,105 yards

The first 2,000-yard rusher after Simpson was Eric Dickerson, and he still holds the record for the most rushing yards in one season. Dickerson ran his way to 2,105 yards in 1984, and he rocked a legendary set of rec specs while doing it.

Unfortunately, this season is more lost in history than it should be because Dickerson didn’t win the MVP. He was overshadowed by Dan Marino, as he had the first-ever 5,000-yard passing season the same year. Even so, Dickerson had arguably the best non-MVP season ever in 1984.

While this article is about the 2,000-yard threshold, Dickerson surpassing 2,100 yards is truly something special, too, and if it weren’t for the 17-game season of the modern era, it would likely have served as an unbreakable record. Saquon Barkley could get close this year, but there is still a chance that he won’t even pass Dickerson’s record.

Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (1997): 2,053 yards

Barry Sanders is one of the best NFL players ever, regardless of position, and his 2,000-yard season in 1997 is a big reason why fans view him that way. Sanders, who led the NFL in rushing yards four times, retired only one season after rushing for 2,053 yards, before he saw regression in his game.

The lifelong Detroit Lion was known for big runs. Sanders would often start running towards one side of the field before cutting back and breaking off a long gain on the other side of the field. His awareness, elusiveness, and speed were all unmatched, which made him a highlight waiting to happen.

Sanders actually wasn’t the rushing touchdowns leader this season. Instead, that honor in 1997 belongs to the next player on this list. Sanders carried his Lions on his back, though, as they didn’t have a lot of talent outside of him.

Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos (1998): 2,008

A year after leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns, Terrell Davis led the NFL in rushing yards (2,008). He improved his touchdown total too by getting into the end zone 21 times. After edching his name on the 2,000 yard list in the regular season, Davis got even better in the postseason. There, he averaged 156 rushing yards per game.

Davis was 26 years old in 1998. He won the Denver Broncos their second straight Super Bowl this season in addition to taking home regular season MVP honors, and he remains the only player to rush for 2,000 yards and win the Super Bowl in the same season.

While the running back was only expected to get better, injuries derailed his career and limited him to 1,194 yards over the next three seasons before he retired. That short but electric prime makes Davis one of the biggest what-if stories in NFL history.

Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens (2003): 2,066

Jamal Lewis wasn’t necessarily a one-hit wonder, but he is probably the least well-known of the 2,000-yard rushers. The early 2000s Baltimore Ravens were best known for having one of the best defenses ever, but their running back certainly got it done at this time, too, especially in 2003.

Lewis was a bell-cow back, as the Ravens gave him 387 carries this season. That is the 13th most in a single season ever and only trails Davis for the most carries in a 2,000-yard season. Ricky Williams actually had more carries in 2003 (392), but he only ran for 1,372 yards, proving that efficiency is even more important than volume.

Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans (2009): 2,006

A lot of the other running backs on this list are known for their bruising and physical style of play, but Chris Johnson was a speedster. Johnson was a threat to go the distance every time he touched the ball, and he earned the nickname CJ2K because of his 2,000-yard performance.

On top of the 2,006 yards on the ground, Johnson collected 2,509 yards from scrimmage because of his prowess as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, too. That is still the record for single-season scrimmage yards.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (2012): 2,097

Adrian Peterson is arguably the best running back of the 21st century, and that was on full display when he ran for 2,097 yards in 2012. He was so dominant that year that the league was forced to give him the MVP award despite the MVP turning into a quarterback award around that time. In fact, Peterson is the last non-quarterback MVP we’ve had.

In 31 fewer carries than Eric Dickerson, Peterson finished just nine yards shy of the single-season rushing record. All the more impressive, this season came less than a year after an ACL/MCL tear. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback play wasn’t good, so they relied on Peterson to carry the huge load. The running back more than delivered.

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (2020): 2,027

Our most recent 2,000-yard rusher, Derrick Henry makes the Tennessee Titans the only team with multiple players to go for over 2,000 yards in a season. Henry ran for 2,000 yards in a very different fashion than Johnson did, as Henry is a 6-foot-3, 247-pound monster of a man.

Henry would run through anybody who had the guts to stand in front of him, and if a defender dared to try to tackle him, he’d use a vicious stiff arm to shove them away. You need to stay healthy to have a chance to run for 2,000 yards, but that was never harder than in the 2020 season, making King Henry’s feat even more impressive. This year was during the COVID-19 pandemic where players regularly had to miss games because of COVID protocols.

Henry’s success as a ball carrier is also impressive because defenses are well aware that he isn’t a huge threat in the passing game. They know the hand-off is coming, but they just can’t stop it. Henry has had a resurgence in 2024 with the Ravens, and it is only being shunned because Saquon Barkley is on pace to join Henry on the 2,000-yard season list.

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