Surpassing the 2,000 rushing yards barrier is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult feats in football, and that’s precisely why, throughout NFL history, only eight players have achieved it. It is also worth mentioning that no one has done it twice.
To reach 2,000 rushing yards obviously requires speed, agility, intelligence, determination and, most importantly, consistency, because staying at an elite level week after week throughout the entire season is the hardest thing of all for a player. Let’s take a look at every NFL running back with 2,000 rushing yards in a single season.
9 Which Players Have Amassed Over 2000 Total Yards From Scrimmage?
Not Every 2000+ Yards Player Came Exclusively From Rushing
Now in 2024, there are still only eight players who have managed to break the 2000-yard rushing mark in a single season. Today’s NFL places a higher focus on the passing game and the era of the workhorse running back seems to be behind us. It’s very rare now to see a player get 25-30 carries game after game. While some players such as Christian McCaffrey may get 30 touches a game, many of those come in the passing game.
Perhaps the NFL will eventually see a resurgence of workhorse running backs, but for now, it seems like it will be a while before we get a 2,000-yard rusher.
To be fair, we have seen several running backs total over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in recent seasons, including:
- Christian McCaffrey – 2,023 yards (2023)
- Josh Jacobs – 2,053 yards (2022)
- Jonathan Taylor – 2,171 (2021)
- Derrick Henry – 2,141 (2020)
- Christian McCaffrey – 2,392 (2019)
For now though, let’s focus on running backs who totaled over 2,000 rushing yards in a single season.
8 O.J. Simpson – 2,003 Yards (Buffalo Bills, 1973)
Buffalo Bills’ O.J. Simpson Recorded 2,003 Rushing Yards In The 1973 Season
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 |
Buffalo Bills |
2003 |
332 |
143.1 |
12 |
The first running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season was O.J. Simpson in 1973. The Buffalo Bills selected Simpson in the first overall pick of the 1969 draft, so they expected big things from him, but surely no one expected Simpson to make history.
In that 1973 season, O.J. Simpson seemed to come from another galaxy, as his level of play was unbelievable. O.J. had 2,003 yards, gaining six yards per rushing attempt and 143.1 yards per game. If that wasn’t enough, he scored 12 rushing touchdowns. Obviously, those numbers were more than enough for O.J. Simpson to be named AP Offensive Player of the Year and AP MVP.
7 Chris Johnson – 2,006 Yards (Tennessee Titans, 2009)
CJ2K Set an NFL Record With 2,509 Yards From Scrimmage in 2009.
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 |
Tennessee Titans |
2006 |
358 |
125.4 |
14 |
In 2009, Chris Johnson had 2,006 rushing yards, 5.6 yards per attempt, 125.4 yards per game and 16 touchdowns. The 24-year-old running back really had a phenomenal performance, and was named AP Offensive Player of the Year. His best game came in Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, recording 228 yards on 24 attempts and scoring a couple of touchdowns.
He also had a monster game in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, with 197 yards on 16 carries, and 87 receiving yards on nine catches.
Chris Johnson had other good seasons with the Tennessee Titans, but nowhere near that of 2009. This was the season where Johnson became known as CJ2K, as it seemed every time he touched the ball, he was a threat to go all the way, with his breakaway speed.
On top of joining the 2,000-yard club, Johnson added 503 receiving yards for a total of 2,509 yards from scrimmage, which set an NFL record.
6 Terrell Davis – 2,008 Yards (Denver Broncos, 1998)
Terrell Davis Recorded 2,008 Rushing Yards In The Broncos’ 1998 Super Bowl-winning Season,
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 |
Denver Broncos |
2008 |
392 |
125.5 |
21 |
Terrell Davis was coming off outstanding seasons in 1996 and 1997, but his 1998 season was one for the ages. T.D. rushed for 2,008 yards, gained 5.1 yards per attempt and 125.5 yards per game. In addition, Davis had 23 touchdowns and an approximate value of 22. Unsurprisingly, Terrell Davis took AP MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
In the playoffs, Terrell Davis was absolutely on fire, averaging 156 rushing yards per game to lead the Denver Broncos to their second consecutive Super Bowl victory. Unfortunately, after that season, Davis had to deal with several injuries, and his career was ultimately cut short.
Despite his shortened career, Davis still did enough to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
5 Derrick Henry – 2,027 Yards (Tennessee Titans, 2020)
‘King’ Henry Joined The 2,000-Yard Club In The 2020 Season.
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 |
Tennessee Titans |
2027 |
378 |
126.7 |
17 |
In the final game of the 2020 pandemic season, against the Houston Texans, Derrick Henry put on a clinic, rushing for 250 yards to reach over 2,000 yards on the season.
Derrick Henry is the most recent running back to join this select group of 2,000 rushing yards. In 2020, King Henry simply exploded, recording 2,027 yards, 5.4 yards per rushing attempt, 126.7 yards per game and 17 touchdowns.
In 2021, Derrick Henry was on track for another sensational season, but unfortunately, he injured his right foot mid-season.
Henry hasn’t come close to this kind of production since, and now with the Baltimore Ravens, it appears his days of carrying the ball 25-30 times a game are done.
4 Barry Sanders – 2,053 Yards (Detroit Lions, 1997)
Sanders recorded his best season in 1997, carrying the Lions to the playoffs.
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 |
Detroit Lions |
2,053 |
335 |
128.3 |
11 |
Barry Sanders is often considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, as he had an exceptional career, and his best season was in 1997. That year, he rushed for 2,053 yards, with 6.1 yards per attempt and 128.3 yards per game. Sanders was truly unstoppable.
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He needed 131 yards in the final game of the season to reach 2,000, and he took the field motivated and rushed for 184 yards against the New York Jets.
His unforgettable performance was recognized with AP Offensive Player of The Year and AP MVP (shared with Brett Favre) awards.
3 Jamal Lewis – 2,066 Yards (Baltimore Ravens, 2003)
The Ravens Handed The Ball to Jamal Lewis a Whopping 387 Times
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 |
Baltimore Ravens |
2066 |
387 |
129.1 |
14 |
Jamal Lewis’ 2003 season was insane, with 2,066 yards, 5.3 yards per rushing attempt, 129.1 yards per game and 14 touchdowns. Lewis was the definition of a workhorse back, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to propel the Ravens to a playoff spot, or even a winning record, as they finished 7-9 in 2003.
Lewis finished just 49 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time season record,
After that unforgettable year, everyone thought Jamal Lewis would have an amazing career, some even thought that he could become the best running back in history. Oddly enough, however, his performance was pretty ordinary in the following years, averaging just 975 rushing yards per season and 3.8 yards per attempt.
2 Adrian Peterson – 2,097 Yards (Minnesota Vikings, 2012)
AP’s Near-Historic Season Was The Last Time a Non-QB Was Named MVP.
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 |
Minnesota Vikings |
2097 |
348 |
131.1 |
12 |
Adrian Peterson is not only a future NFL Hall of Famer, but he’s arguably been the best running back of the 21st century, and in 2012, he showed why.
That year, Peterson was named Offensive Player of the Year and AP MVP, and it’s no wonder considering he had 2,097 yards on the season, gaining six yards per rushing attempt and 131.1 yards per game, along with 13 touchdowns.
Peterson finished just nine yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record, and had 31 fewer carries. His 6.0 yards per carry were greater than that of the holder of the all-time single season record…
1 Eric Dickerson – 2,105 Yards (Los Angeles Rams, 1984)
Dickerson’s Single-Season Record Still Stands 40 Years Later.
Season |
Team |
Rushing Yards |
Rushing Attempts |
Yards Per Game |
Rushing Touchdowns |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 |
Los Angeles Rams |
2105 |
379 |
131.6 |
14 |
Eric Dickerson is the only running back in NFL history with more than 2,100 rushing yards in a single season, something he accomplished in 1984, just his second year in the league. Dickerson recorded 2105 yards to be exact, with 131.6 yards per game, 5.6 yards per rushing attempt and 14 touchdowns.
Eric Dickerson was indecipherable, and downright unstoppable; it was a delight to watch him run the ball.
Believe it or not, Eric Dickerson did not get any awards that season, as Dan Marino was the one who took AP MVP and AP Offensive Player Of The Year honors, thanks to his 5,000-yard passing season, which was unheard of back in the 80s, and well into the 2000s.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)