This is a list of National Football League running backs by total career rushing attempts. This list includes all running backs with at least 2,500 attempts.
Active players listed in bold type.
| Rank [1] | Player | Attempts [2] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emmitt Smith | 4,409 |
| 2 | Walter Payton | 3,838 |
| 3 | Frank Gore | 3,735 |
| 4 | Curtis Martin | 3,518 |
| 5 | Jerome Bettis | 3,479 |
| 6 | Adrian Peterson | 3,210 |
| 7 | LaDainian Tomlinson | 3,174 |
| 8 | Barry Sanders | 3,062 |
| 9 | Edgerrin James | 3,028 |
| 10 | Marcus Allen | 3,022 |
| 11 | Eric Dickerson | 2,996 |
| 12 | Franco Harris | 2,949 |
| 13 | Tony Dorsett | 2,936 |
| 14 | John Riggins | 2,916 |
| 15 | Thurman Thomas | 2,877 |
| 16 | Eddie George | 2,865 |
| 17 | Marshall Faulk | 2,836 |
| 18 | Steven Jackson | 2,764 |
| 19 | Thomas Jones | 2,678 |
| 20 | Warrick Dunn | 2,669 |
| 21 | Derrick Henry | 2,662 |
| 22 | Ricky Watters | 2,622 |
| 23 | Corey Dillon | 2,618 |
| 24 | Ottis Anderson | 2,562 |
| 25 | Jamal Lewis | 2,542 |
| 26 | Fred Taylor | 2,534 |
Through 2025 season; numbers in attempts.
| Rank [3] | Player | Attempts [4] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franco Harris | 400 |
| 2 | Emmitt Smith | 349 |
| 3 | Thurman Thomas | 339 |
| 4 | Tony Dorsett | 302 |
| 5 | Marcus Allen | 267 |
| 6 | John Riggins | 251 |
| 7 | Chuck Foreman | 229 |
| 8 | Larry Csonka | 225 |
| 9 | Edgerrin James | 218 |
| 10 | Marshawn Lynch | 211 |
| 11 | Roger Craig | 208 |
| 12 | Eddie George | 206 |
| 13 | Terrell Davis | 204 |