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Walter Payton, affectionately known as "Sweetness," is widely regarded as the greatest player in Chicago Bears history and is often mentioned among the best running backs in NFL history. He played his entire career with the Bears from 1975 to 1987, surpassing 1,200 rushing yards in 10 of his 13 seasons and scoring double-digit touchdowns in five of them. Payton ranks second all-time with 16,726 rushing yards, earned the NFL MVP award in 1977, was selected as a five-time All-Pro, and made nine Pro Bowl appearances. He also played a key role in the Bears’ Super Bowl XX victory during the 1985 season.
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For football fans during the late 2000s and 2010s, watching Adrian Peterson dominate defenses for the Minnesota Vikings was a staple of fall Sundays. Known as "All Day," Peterson led the NFL in rushing yards three times (2008, 2012, and 2015) and recorded over 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns in eight different seasons. Over his career, he earned four All-Pro selections and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times.
After a relatively quiet 2011 season by his high standards, Peterson bounced back with a historic 2012 campaign, rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns at an average of 6.0 yards per carry. That performance earned him the NFL MVP award, making him the most recent non-quarterback to claim the honor. He ranks fifth all-time with 14,918 career rushing yards.
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Marcus Allen was the centerpiece of the Los Angeles Raiders' offense during their 1983 Super Bowl championship run and remains the most accomplished running back in franchise history. Over 11 seasons with the Raiders (1982–1992), Allen rushed for 8,545 yards and 79 touchdowns—both franchise records—and added 4,258 receiving yards, ranking seventh in team history. A two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler during his time in silver and black, Allen was also named Super Bowl XVIII MVP and earned the league MVP award in 1985.
He spent the final five years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1997), where he continued to produce at a high level. In 1993, he led the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl. While with the Chiefs, he averaged 740 rushing yards and nine touchdowns per season.
LaDainian Tomlinson was a fantasy football favorite for nearly a decade and is widely considered the greatest player in Chargers history. He rushed for over 1,100 yards in each of his first eight seasons and scored double-digit rushing touchdowns in each of his first nine. Tomlinson won the NFL MVP award in 2006, a year in which he led the league in both rushing yards and touchdowns. A three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, he also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2004, 2006, and 2007, and in rushing yards in 2006 and 2007.
Tomlinson played the final two seasons of his career with the New York Jets (2010–2011) but left a lasting legacy with the Chargers (2001–2009). He ranks seventh all-time with 13,684 rushing yards and is the Chargers’ all-time leader in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a significant margin—surpassing the next closest player by 7,518 yards and 95 touchdowns.
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The 1990s Dallas Cowboys were loaded with talent and future Hall of Famers during their run of three Super Bowl titles in four seasons (1992, 1993, and 1995), but no player stood out more than Emmitt Smith. The star running back led the league in rushing yards four times (1991, 1992, 1993, and 1995) and topped the NFL in rushing touchdowns in three seasons (1992, 1994, and 1995). He also had two seasons with over 20 rushing touchdowns, scoring 21 in 1994 and a career-best 25 in 1995.
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