List of NFL career all-purpose yards leaders

Last updated

This is a list of National Football League players with a career total of over 15,000 all-purpose yards. [a] [1] [2]

Contents

Players listed in bold currently active.

List

Rank [b] Player Position(s)
regularly
played
Seasons
by team
Total
all-purpose [a]
yards
gained [c]
Total
rushing
yards
gained [c]
Total
receiving
yards
gained [c]
Total
interception
return
yards
gained [c]
Total
punt
return
yards
gained [c]
Total
kickoff
return
yards
gained [c]
Total
recovered
fumble

return
yards
gained [c]
Year of
induction into
Pro Football
Hall of Fame
1 Jerry Rice Wide receiver San Francisco 49ers (1985 2000)
Oakland Raiders (2001 2004)
Seattle Seahawks (2004)
23,54664522,8950060 2010
2 Brian Mitchell Running back
Punt returner
Kick returner
Washington Redskins (1990 1999)
Philadelphia Eagles (2000 2002)
New York Giants (2003)
23,3301,9672,33604,99914,01414None
3 Walter Payton Running back Chicago Bears (1975 1987)21,80316,7264,538005390 1993
4 Emmitt Smith Running back Dallas Cowboys (1990 2002)
Arizona Cardinals (2003 2004)
21,56418,3553,224000(15) [d] 2010
5 Frank Gore Running back San Francisco 49ers (20052014)
Indianapolis Colts (20152017)
Miami Dolphins (2018)
Buffalo Bills (2019)
New York Jets (2020)
19,99216,0003,9850007Eligible in 2026
6 Darren Sproles Running back
Punt returner
Kick returner
San Diego Chargers (2005 2010)
New Orleans Saints (2011 2013)
Philadelphia Eagles (20142019)
19,6963,5524,84002,9618,352(9) [d] Eligible in 2025 [e]
7 Tim Brown Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
L.A./Oakland Raiders (1988 2003)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004)
19,68219014,93403,3201,2353 2015
8 Marshall Faulk Running back Indianapolis Colts (1994 1998)
St. Louis Rams (1999 2005)
19,19012,2796,875001818 2011
9 Steve Smith Sr. Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
Carolina Panthers (2001 2013)
Baltimore Ravens (2014 2016)
19,18038714,73101,6842,3717None
10 LaDainian Tomlinson Running back San Diego Chargers (2001 2009)
New York Jets (2010 2011)
18,45613,6844,7720000 2017
11 Barry Sanders Running back Detroit Lions (1989 1998)18,30815,2692,921001180 2004
12 Herschel Walker Running back
Kick returner
Dallas Cowboys (1986 1989, 1996 1997)
Minnesota Vikings (1989 1991)
Philadelphia Eagles (1992 1994)
New York Giants (1995)
18,1688,2254,859005,0840None
13 Adrian Peterson Running back Minnesota Vikings (2007 2016)
New Orleans Saints (2017)
Arizona Cardinals (2017)
Washington Redskins (2018 2019)
Detroit Lions (2020)
Tennessee Titans (2021)
Seattle Seahawks (2021)
17,80814,9182,47400428(12) [d] Eligible in 2027 [e]
14 Marcus Allen Running back Los Angeles Raiders (1982 1992)
Kansas City Chiefs (1993 1997)
17,64812,2435,411000(6) [d] 2003
15 Larry Fitzgerald Wide receiver Arizona Cardinals (2004 2020)17,5606817,4920000Eligible in 2026
16 Curtis Martin Running back New England Patriots (1995 1997)
New York Jets (1998 2005)
17,42114,1013,329000(9) [d] 2012
17 Tiki Barber Running back New York Giants (1997 2006)17,35910,4495,18301,1815442None
18 Eric Metcalf Running back
Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
Cleveland Browns (1989 1994)
Atlanta Falcons (1995 1996)
San Diego Chargers (1997)
Arizona Cardinals (1998)
Carolina Panthers (1999)
Washington Redskins (2001)
Green Bay Packers (2002)
17,2302,3925,57203,4535,8130None
19 Derrick Mason Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1997 2004)
Baltimore Ravens (2005 2010)
New York Jets (2011)
Houston Texans (2011)
17,150312,06101,5903,4960None
20 Wes Welker Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
San Diego Chargers (2004)
Miami Dolphins (2004 2006)
New England Patriots (2007 2012)
Denver Broncos (2013 2014)
St. Louis Rams (2015)
16,7971519,92402,5844,1380None
21 Thurman Thomas Running back Buffalo Bills (1988 1999)
Miami Dolphins (2000)
16,53212,0744,4580000 2007
22 Tony Dorsett Running back Dallas Cowboys (1977 1987)
Denver Broncos (1988)
16,32612,7393,55400033 1994
23 Terrell Owens Wide receiver San Francisco 49ers (1996 2003)
Philadelphia Eagles (2004 2005)
Dallas Cowboys (2006 2008)
Buffalo Bills (2009)
Cincinnati Bengals (2010)
16,27625115,934007813 2018
24 Ted Ginn Jr. Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
Miami Dolphins (20072009)
San Francisco 49ers (20102012)
Carolina Panthers (2013, 20152016)
Arizona Cardinals (2014)
New Orleans Saints (20172019)
Chicago Bears (2020)
15,7494865,74202,6246,899(2) [d] Eligible in 2026 [e]
25 Henry Ellard Wide receiver Los Angeles Rams (1983 1993)
Washington Redskins (1994 1998)
New England Patriots (1998)
15,7185013,77701,5273640None
26 Warrick Dunn Running back Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997 2001, 2008)
Atlanta Falcons (2002 2007)
15,66510,9674,3390483101None
27 Randy Moss Wide receiver Minnesota Vikings (1998 2004, 2010)
Oakland Raiders (2005 2006)
New England Patriots (2007 2010)
Tennessee Titans (2010)
San Francisco 49ers (2012)
15,64415915,292016233(2) [d] 2018
28 Edgerrin James Running back Indianapolis Colts (1999 2005)
Arizona Cardinals (2006 2008)
Seattle Seahawks (2009)
15,61012,2463,3640000 2020
29 Irving Fryar Wide receiver
Punt returner
New England Patriots (1984 1992)
Miami Dolphins (1993 1995)
Philadelphia Eagles (1996 1998)
Washington Redskins (1999 2000)
15,59424212,78502,0555057None
30 Jim Brown Running back Cleveland Browns (1957 1965)15,45912,3122,499006480 1971
31 Josh Cribbs Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
Cleveland Browns (2005 2012)
Oakland Raiders (2013)
New York Jets (2013)
Indianapolis Colts (2014)
15,4538081,17502,37511,113(18) [d] None
32 Eric Dickerson Running back Los Angeles Rams (1983 1987)
Indianapolis Colts (1987 1991)
Los Angeles Raiders (1992)
Atlanta Falcons (1993)
15,41113,2592,13700015 1999
33 Isaac Bruce Wide receiver L.A./St. Louis Rams (1994 2007)
San Francisco 49ers (2008 2009)
15,39913915,20805200 2020
34 Antonio Brown Wide receiver
Punt returner
Kick returner
Pittsburgh Steelers (20102018)
New England Patriots (2019)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20202021)
15,35312812,29101,7611,1730Eligible in 2027 [e]
35 Steven Jackson Running back St. Louis Rams (2004 2012)
Atlanta Falcons (2013 2014)
New England Patriots (2015)
15,19111,4383,6830079(9) [d] None
36 Tony Gonzalez Tight end Kansas City Chiefs (1997 2008)
Atlanta Falcons (20092013)
15,1411415,1270000 2019
37 Jerome Bettis Running back L.A./St. Louis Rams (1993 1995)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1996 2005)
15,11313,6621,4490002 2015
38 Allen Rossum Cornerback
Punt returner
Kick returner
Philadelphia Eagles (19981999)
Green Bay Packers (20002001)
Atlanta Falcons (20022006)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2007)
San Francisco 49ers (20082009)
Dallas Cowboys (2009)
15,046174223,05611,9470None
39 LeSean McCoy Running back Philadelphia Eagles (20092014)
Buffalo Bills (20152018)
Kansas City Chiefs (2019)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)
15,00111,1023,8980001Eligible in 2026 [e]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 All-purpose yards are those gained by an offensive player from scrimmage, viz., those gained by a player's rushing or receiving a pass; a defensive player by return of interception or fumble; or by any player by return of punt, kickoff, or recovered fumble.
  2. Rank is as of Week 18 of the 2021 season.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total is through Week 18 of the 2021 season.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Parentheses denote the negativity of the enclosed net yardage total.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 A player is not eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for five calendar years or is deceased.

References

  1. "NFL All-Purpose Yards Career Leaders (since 1945)". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  2. "Most All Purpose Yards Player NFL History". StatMuse. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.