NFL Single-Season Yards per Carry Record Progression

Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.

The NFL single-season yards per carry record is 8.45, set by Mike Vick in 2006. It has stood for 19 years. The mark has been raised 3 times since 1932.

YDS TD Y/A ATT Y/G 1D FL

Record Holders

4 marks since 1932

Year	Player	Y/A	Stood for
2006	Mike Vick	8.45	still standing
1934	Beattie Feathers	8.44	72 years
1933	Cliff Battles	5.42	1 year
1932	Bob Campiglio	4.85	1 year

The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.

Every Season

94 seasons

Year	Leader	Y/A
2025	De'Von Achane	5.67
2024	Lamar Jackson	6.58
2023	Lamar Jackson	5.55
2022	Justin Fields	7.14
2021	Rashaad Penny	6.29
2020	Lamar Jackson	6.32
2019	Lamar Jackson	6.85
2018	Aaron Jones	5.47
2017	Alvin Kamara	6.07
2016	Mike Gillislee	5.71
2015	Thomas Rawls	5.65
2014	Russell Wilson	7.20
2013	Andre Ellington	5.53
2012	Robert Griffin III	6.79
2011	Cam Newton	5.60
2010	Jamaal Charles	6.38
2009	Felix Jones	5.91
2008	Derrick Ward	5.63
2007	Jerious Norwood	6.03
2006	Mike Vick	8.45	new record
2005	Mike Vick	6.04
2004	Mike Vick	7.46
2003	Clinton Portis	5.49
2002	Mike Vick	6.88
2001	Marshall Faulk	5.32
2000	Marshall Faulk	5.37
1999	Marshall Faulk	5.67
1998	Terrell Davis	5.12
1997	Steve McNair	6.67
1996	Napoleon Kaufman	5.83
1995	Charlie Garner	5.44
1994	Barry Sanders	5.69
1993	Emmitt Smith	5.25
1992	Heath Sherman	5.21
1991	Thurman Thomas	4.89
1990	Randall Cunningham	7.98
1989	Randall Cunningham	5.97
1988	Ickey Woods	5.25
1987	Darrin Nelson	4.90
1986	James Brooks	5.30
1985	Stump Mitchell	5.50
1984	Hokie Gajan	6.03
1983	Mosi Tatupu	5.45
1982	Freeman McNeil	5.21
1981	Tony Nathan	5.32
1980	Earl Campbell	5.19
1979	Wendell Tyler	5.09
1978	Ted McKnight	6.03
1977	Walter Payton	5.46
1976	Don Calhoun	5.59
1975	O.J. Simpson	5.52
1974	Otis Armstrong	5.35
1973	Mercury Morris	6.40
1972	Bobby Douglass	6.87
1971	Larry Csonka	5.39
1970	Duane Thomas	5.32
1969	Tony Baker	4.79
1968	Gale Sayers	6.20
1967	Leroy Kelly	5.13
1966	Leroy Kelly	5.46
1965	Timmy Brown	5.45
1964	Jim Brown	5.16
1963	Jim Brown	6.40
1962	Amos Marsh	5.57
1961	Lenny Moore	7.04
1960	John Crow	5.85
1959	Nick Pietrosante	5.88
1958	Lenny Moore	7.29
1957	Lenny Moore	4.98
1956	Lenny Moore	7.55
1955	Rick Casares	5.38
1954	Tank Younger	6.70
1953	Skeet Quinlan	7.27
1952	Hugh McElhenny	6.98
1951	Tobin Rote	6.88
1950	Marion Motley	5.79
1949	Bosh Pritchard	6.02
1948	Charlie Trippi	5.39
1947	Johnny Clement	5.19
1946	Fred Gehrke	5.23
1945	Fred Gehrke	6.31
1944	Ward Cuff	5.59
1943	Ward Cuff	6.54
1942	Merl Condit	5.02
1941	Bill Osmanski	5.30
1940	Dick Todd	5.37
1939	Joe Maniaci	7.07
1938	Cecil Isbell	5.24
1937	Ernie Caddel	5.65
1936	Ernie Caddel	6.37
1935	Ernie Caddel	5.17
1934	Beattie Feathers	8.44	new record
1933	Cliff Battles	5.42	new record
1932	Bob Campiglio	4.85	new record