Top 10 single-game rushing yards leaders in NFL history feat. Saquon Barkley 

Philadelphia Eagles v Los Angeles Rams - Source: Getty
Top 10 single-game rushing yards leaders in NFL history feat. Saquon Barkley (Image Source: Getty, IMAGN)

Saquon Barkley entered the history books with a performance for the ages in the Philadelphia Eagles' 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football.

The running back rushed 26 times for 255 yards, setting a new career-high and breaking the Eagles' franchise record of 217, set by LeSean McCoy in 2013. His incredible outing featured two 70+ yard touchdowns, his ninth and 10th of the season.

The veteran also broke into the top-10 list for most rushing yards in a game. However, he ranks only ninth on the list.

Here's a closer look at the other nine performances that feature on it:


Most single-game rushing yards in NFL history

#10. Jonathan Taylor, 253 yards - Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2021

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (Image Source: IMAGN)
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (Image Source: IMAGN)

Jonathan Taylor was the latest entrant on the list before Barkley. He rushed for 253 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in a 28-14 win for the Indianapolis Colts over the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.

#9. Saquon Barkley, 255 - Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams, 2024

Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (Image Source: IMAGN)
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (Image Source: IMAGN)

Saquon Barkley's historic outing against the Rams on Sunday Night Football ranks ninth all-time.

#8. Jamaal Charles, 259 yards - Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos, 2010

Jamaal Charles (Image Source: IMAGN)
Jamaal Charles (Image Source: IMAGN)

In 2010, the Kansas City Chiefs finished 4-12, with not much to celebrate. However, in the final game of the season against the Denver Broncos, running back Jamaal Charles capped off a disappointing year for the team with a historic performance. He rushed for 259 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a 44-24 win for his team.

#7. Shaun Alexander, 266 yards - Seattle Seahawks vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 2001

Shaun Alexander (Image Source: IMAGN)
Shaun Alexander (Image Source: IMAGN)

When the 4-3 Seattle Seahawks hosted the 6-1 Las Vegas Raiders, then called the Oakland Raiders, in Week 8 of the 2001 NFL season, few backed the home team to pull off the upset win.

However, Shaun Alexander was among the minority and propelled his team to a victory with a historic display. He finished the game with 266 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries in a 34-27 win for the Seahawks.

#6. O.J. Simpson, 273 yards - Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions, 1976

The late running back rushed for 273 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries in a 27-14 loss for the Buffalo Bills in Detroit.

#5. Walter Payton, 275 yards - Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1977

Walter Payton (34) in action (Image Source: IMAGN)
Walter Payton (34) in action (Image Source: IMAGN)

Walter Payton is best remembered for his humanitarian efforts and for being the person after whom the NFL's Man of the Year is named. However, he was also an incredible running back in his heyday.

His best performance came in the 1977 season against the Minnesota Vikings. He rushed 40 times for 275 yards and one touchdown in a narrow 10-7 win for the Chicago Bears. It stood as the record for most rushing yards in a game for 23 years, until the next entrant on the list broke it.

#4. Corey Dillon, 278 yards - Cincinnati Bengals vs. Denver Broncos, 2000

Corey Dillon (Image Source: IMAGN)
Corey Dillon (Image Source: IMAGN)

A decade before Jamaal Charles torched them 259 yards, the Broncos had to suffer a Corey Dillon masterclass in 2000. The Cincinnati Bengals star rushed for 278 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in a 31-21 win for his team.

In the same game, Dillon's teammate Peter Warrick also rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Brandon Bennett, Akili Smith and Scott Mitchell added 39 more yards to the tally. The Bengals rushed for a total of 407 yards, which ranks second all-time behind the New York Giants' 423-yard effort against the Baltimore Colts in 1950.

#3. Jerome Harrison, 286 yards - Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 2009

Jerome Harrison in 2011 (Image Source: IMAGN)
Jerome Harrison in 2011 (Image Source: IMAGN)

In a high-scoring thriller between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs in 2009, Jerome Harrison became only the third player in NFL history to rush for more than 280 yards in a game. He finished with 286 and three touchdowns on 34 carries in a 41-34 win for the Browns.

#2. Jamal Lewis, 295 yards - Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns, 2003

Jamal Lewis in action in 2003 (Image Source: IMAGN)
Jamal Lewis in action in 2003 (Image Source: IMAGN)

In a game between the Ravens and Browns in 2003, star running back Jamal Lewis scored an 82-yard touchdown less than a minute after kickoff. He'd rush for 213 more yards and another touchdown to lead his team to a 33-10 win and set the new NFL record for most rushing yards in a game.

#1. Adrian Peterson, 296 yards, Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 2007

Adrian Peterson in 2007 (Image Source: IMAGN)
Adrian Peterson in 2007 (Image Source: IMAGN)

Five years before he won the MVP award, Adrian Peterson broke the NFL record for most rushing yards in a game by one yard in the Minnesota Vikings' 35-17 blowout win over the Los Angeles Chargers, then called the San Diego Chargers.

He carried the ball 30 times and found the endzone thrice. He also caught one pass for 19 yards, taking his yards from scrimmage total past the 300 mark.

Seventeen years on, no one has come close to beating the record. Perhaps Saquon Barkley will give it a go at some point this season.

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Edited by Veer Badani
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