5 active NFL players with most rushing yards feat. Saquon Barkley

Rushing yards stats are significant metrics in the NFL, as they sometimes showcase a player's talent and resilience while also showing the dynamic nature of a team's attack. A number of running backs have established themselves over the years by amassing incredible yard numbers.

Emmitt Smith, who had 18,355 yards in his career, holds the NFL rushing yard record. While the running backs in the league right now are far off that mark, there are still active rushers in the NFL who have accumulated a lot of rushing yards over their careers.

In this article, we will look at the NFL players to have recorded the most career rushing yards.

Top 5 active NFL running backs with most rushing yards

No. 5 - Aaron Jones - 7,078 yards

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones - Source: Imagn

Aaron Jones played 97 games and amassed 1,177 rushes for 5,940 yards and 45 touchdowns during his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. He also caught 272 passes for 2,076 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was the league leader in rushing touchdowns in 2019 when he scored 16 on the ground. He was also selected for one Pro Bowl during that span.

Jones delivered another solid campaign after joining the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2024 season. He emerged as the franchise’s star back last season with the highest number of carries (255) and rushing yards (1,138) of his career.

Jones will definitely look to keep on gaining yards for a few more seasons as he is currently 30 years old and appears to still be in a good shape.

No. 4 - Saquon Barkley - 7,216 yards

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley - Source: Getty

Saquon Barkley had a memorable 2024 season, his first year with the Philadelphia Eagles after playing with the New York Giants for the first six years of his career.

The former second overall draft pick became the ninth player in league history to reach 2,000+ yards on the ground in a season last year, when he led the league with 2,005 rushing yards. He also recorded the most rushing touchdowns of his career with 13 and 5.8 yards per rushing attempt.

Barkley currently ranks fourth among active rushers in the league in rushing yards (7,216) at only 28 years old. He also has 2,378 receiving yards, 14 receiving touchdowns, 321 receptions, and 48 rushing touchdowns.

No. 3 - Joe Mixon - 7,428 yards

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon - Source: Imagn

Joe Mixon has played for eight seasons in the NFL, including seven with the Cincinnati Bengals. He enjoyed his most productive season in the league in 2021, when he recorded 1,205 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns from scrimmage.

Mixon recorded his fifth season with 1000+ rushing yards after joining the Houston Texans ahead of the 2024 campaign. The two-time Pro Bowler has accumulated 7,428 rushing yards and 60 rushing touchdowns from 1,816 rushing attempts in his career.

No. 2 - Ezekiel Elliott - 9,130 yards

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott - Source: Imagn

Ezekiel Elliott was drafted fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. In his first four seasons in the league, he averaged an impressive 97 yards per game and 1,351 yards per season.

Elliott was cut by the Cowboys for the second time in December 2024. Before then, however, he had recorded 1,955 rushing attempts for 8,488 yards and 71 TDs for the team, ranking third in franchise history in all three categories behind Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith. His career total to date is 9,130 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns.

No. 1 - Derrick Henry - 11,423 yards

Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens - Source: Getty

Derrick Henry is the active NFL running back with the most career rushing yards, with 11,423 yards. Since he became a starter for the Tennessee Titans in 2018, the three-time NFL rushing touchdown leader has been playing at an exceptionally high level, and he is still one of the league's finest running backs in 2025.

Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the 2024 season after eight seasons with the Titans. He was also able to set several franchise records in his first season with the organization.