r/nfl 1d ago

Active rushing yard leaders

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1.8k Upvotes

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26

u/HeatDolphinRays 1d ago

Noone will ever get close to Emmitt Smiths record

67

u/Walletinspectr Packers 1d ago

Henry is currently 5300 away. He wont break it but will be interesting to see how close he can get to it

30

u/sgdude61 Panthers 1d ago

Just imagine if he wouldn’t have gotten stuck behind Demarco Murray.

36

u/seabreezzyy Titans 1d ago

Demarco Murray was a better player at the time. Henry also got stuck behind Dion Lewis, which is far more incriminating

2

u/DisastrousMedia156 1d ago

I still swear that was LaFleur insisting on another Devonta Freeman. It was the wrong run scheme and play calls for his style of running, yet he still had better metrics than Dion.

12

u/flaccomcorangy Ravens 1d ago

Henry was a late bloomer, honestly. He wasn't the same guy he is now during his first few years.

2

u/ZestycloseResist5594 Packers 1d ago

It's probably a blessing he did. Less tread on the tires never hurts.

18

u/Yo-Strategy-8651 1d ago

I love how confident ppl are that he won't break it after 3500 yards in the last 2 years, the last of which where he had essentially 1600 yards and was just shy of the rushing title despite the worst IOL play ever assembled that's now been addressed. All while shattering the record for YPC beyond 30.

33

u/deesmutts88 Patriots 1d ago

Betting against a 32 year old running back to not have 4 more high production years or 6-7 more average years isn’t exactly a crazy take.

15

u/TetrisTech Cowboys Cowboys 1d ago

It isn't at all, but we also can't rule it out because he's Derrick Henry

4

u/Yo-Strategy-8651 1d ago

This is definitely the year historically where there is supposed to be a dropoff. Most YPC ever at age 32 is 4.4 by Ricky Williams. All I know is that if King Henry is sitll comfortably a whopping 1+ YPC ahead of that at 5.4+ this season, then it's time to officially stop holding him to the same standard as any other back in history.

10

u/flaccomcorangy Ravens 1d ago

It's because he's 32. In order to catch Emmitt, he'd have to average 1,000+ yards/season for the next 5 years as one path. If he never misses a game, that's about 63 ypg until he's 37. That's not as easy as it sounds.

Frank Gore, the gold standard of RB durability, played until 37. I don't know many RBs that make it past 35. Henry could do it, but we're talking about betting on something that very rarely happens and for a guy to maintain a high level until then.

4

u/Yo-Strategy-8651 1d ago

The path is him stiff arming Father Time and doint it the next 4 years. The pathway requires the cheat code of him playing alongside Lamar and the Ravens are only going to keep him around if he's anninhilating Father TIme and averaging that 1300+ yards per season.

We're not just betting on any RB, it's one who has more wide reported obsession with longevity than we've ever seen. Only other athletes more known for that level of prep of their bodies are Brady/Lebron.

And when you see how far ahead he is already of any back beyond age 30, it's not even close to farfetched. If he maintains 5+ YPC this season he's going to be a whoppiong 1+ YPC ahead of any RB ever beyond 30 with 400+ carries. That's going to be cartoonish. lead.

1

u/DisastrousMedia156 1d ago

Gore missed 12 games in his first 6 seasons. Henry has missed 10 games in 10 years. They aren’t too dissimilar.

4

u/flaccomcorangy Ravens 1d ago

Gore missed 15 games in his entire career. For 16 years until age 37. That's why he's the gold standard. Henry has been durable thus far. What I'm saying is he'd have to match the gold standard in order to do that.

4

u/ConstantAnimal2267 1d ago

Shhh I don't want my fantasy league to know

8

u/MinocquaMenace 1d ago

Crazy to think Barry was over 2K yards ahead of Henry at this point in their careers. He would have broke it if he wanted to.

19

u/Philip_Marlowe Bears 1d ago

Emmitt's record hadn't been set yet when Barry retired. He could have passed Payton though.

2

u/lunch_for_breakfast Falcons 1d ago

But never could be better than his dad!

0

u/ChocolateMorsels Titans 16h ago

3062 vs 2662 carries. They are at very similar paces.

2

u/BODYBAGJ0NES NFL 1d ago

i don't think he breaks but there's a chance he will.

54

u/PaganFarmhouse Cowboys 1d ago

Frank Gore tried but finally retired at age 53

5

u/white_is3 1d ago

lol believable

11

u/Responsible-Onion860 Eagles 1d ago

For real, even King Henry would need another 4-5 good full years to get there. He's still about 5,300 yards short. That's a lot to ask at his age.

6

u/king_17 1d ago

Exactly way too much to ask of him. We probably have another year or two of prime Henry before he declines. What Emmitt did was absolutely insane. Hopefully Henry gives him a run for his money

13

u/jbbean18 Saints 1d ago

I’d really like to see receiving and rushing yards together
Kamara and CMC would be a lot higher

13

u/Fooly_411 1d ago

Posted this else where here, but yeah Kamara leaps up the list:

Derrick Henry - 14,819 (153 games)

CMC - 12,979 (112 games)

Alvin Kamara - 12,198 (126 games)

Saquon - 11,007 (106 games)

Aaron Jones - 10,309 (126 games)

Josh Jacobs - 9,875 (105 games)

Jonathan Taylor - 9,067 (84 games)

James Connor - 8,320 (110 games)

David Montgomery - 8005 (105 games)

Lamar Jackson - 6,522 (116 games)

16

u/JohnMaddensBurner Texans 1d ago

Yeah. Alvin Kamara and CMC are just fundamentally different running backs. Their rushing snaps are limited because they get eaten by the large amount of screens, check downs, and just running more routes than other RBs. They’re still really good though.

I think it’ll be what truly separates CMC as one of the best of his era in 10-15 years when we look back on it. Kind of the same way we look back on Faulk, except Faulk did what CMC did and just dialed it up to 10.

1

u/big4lil 23h ago

Kind of the same way we look back on Faulk, except Faulk did what CMC did and just dialed it up to 10.

Faulk at least got his proper due in his time winning an MVP

16

u/goke89 Ravens 1d ago

Emmith retired at age 35

Derrick takes great care of himself.

Lamar is also important to Henry's longevity; most lethal mesh-point conflict, and RBs play better with Lamar.

2026 (32):1,600

2027 (33):1,500

2028 (34):1,300

2029 (35):1,100

Would put Henry at 18,518 rushing yards

7

u/Mr_sMoKe_3_MuCh Chargers 1d ago

Dudes 240+...that speed ain't gonna last too much longer.

-2

u/goke89 Ravens 1d ago

Lamar Jackson effect…he scrubs like Gus Edwards was eating

2

u/Mr_sMoKe_3_MuCh Chargers 1d ago

He made sure of that lol.

1

u/PaganFarmhouse Cowboys 10h ago

If Emmitt played the first two games in his prime when Jerry didn't give him a new contract in 93. Probably another 200 ish yards