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NFL history is filled with players who, for one reason or another, garnered acclaim that wasn’t fully justified by their overall impact.
Running backs can become household names due to sheer volume of carries, but yardage alone does not always reflect a player’s true impact or efficiency. Media hype, team success and even fantasy football scoring can paint certain players as all-time greats, while a closer examination reveals that some backs achieved less on a per-touch basis or struggled to sustain high performance levels.
Moreover, loads of running backs often benefit from the blocking schemes and offensive lines around them.
Considering these factors, we decided to compile a list featuring the 10 most overrated running backs in NFL history. We’re not saying the following RBs aren’t talented — we just think their overall hype and numbers don’t tell the entire story. Check out our picks below.
10. Jerome Bettis
GettyEx-Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jerome Bettis.
Affectionately know to Pittsburgh Steelers fans as “The Bus,” Jerome Bettis accumulated 13,662 rushing yards over 13 seasons, placing him among the top ten rushers of all time. However, his career yards per carry (YPC) average was only 3.9, which is subpar compared to many of his peers. For example, Hall of Fame contemporaries such as Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith both averaged over 4.2 YPC across their careers.
Bettis often relied on high rushing attempts rather than explosive or efficient play, underscoring why he ranks as one of the least efficient high-yardage backs in NFL history. He also didn’t contribute much to the passing game. Over his career, Bettis hauled in just 200 passes for 1,449 yards and 3 TDs, contributing an average of only 12.2 receiving yards per game.
9. Leonard Fournette
GettyEx-RB Leonard Fournette.
The fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Leonard Fournette’s career began with some pretty immense hype, primarily due to his college dominance at LSU. But his transition to the NFL wasn’t a smooth one. During his first three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Fournette did have two 1,000-yard seasons, but he averaged a modest 3.9 yards per carry. He also never reached the 1,000-yard mark again over his seven-year career.
Fournette’s time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reinvigorated his career narrative, largely due to the team’s Super Bowl run in 2020, but he still showed inconsistent production on a per-game basis. While “Playoff Lenny” became a popular moniker for his postseason contributions, his actual playoff stats (he averaged over 4.0 yards per carry in just one of his four seasons in the playoffs) are definitely lacking.
8. Trent Richardson
GettyEx-Browns running back Trent Richardson.
A top-3 draft pick for the Cleveland Browns in 2012, Trent Richardson quickly became one of the NFL’s most disappointing running backs relative to expectations. In his rookie season, Richardson showed promise, amassing 950 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but his performance masked deeper issues. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry Year 1, a statistic that was particularly alarming for a player drafted as high as he was.
Following his rookie season, Richardson’s performance only declined. After a surprising mid-season trade to the Indianapolis Colts in 2013, he struggled even more. By the time he exited the NFL in 2016, his career average sat at just 3.3 yards per carry, far below the league average and well below the performance of top running backs.
7. Ron Dayne
GettyEx-RB Ron Dayne.
The 1999 Heisman Trophy winner out of the University of Wisconsin, running back Ron Dayne entered the NFL with great expectations, but his professional career fell short of the hype.
After joining the New York Giants in 2000 as the 11th overall pick, Dayne struggled to replicate his college success. In his rookie year, he rushed for 770 yards, netting a paltry 3.4-yards per carry. Over his seven-year career, he totaled just 3,722 rushing yards with a 3.8 YPC average and only 28 rushing touchdowns. For a player with his pedigree, these numbers are underwhelming, especially considering he never surpassed 800 rushing yards in a season.
6. Eddie George
GettyFormer running back Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans.
Though he accumulated 10,441 rushing yards over his nine-season career, Eddie George lands on our most overrated list. First off, George’s YPC average is a glaring issue. The former Tennessee Titans standout posted a career YPC of just 3.6, a number that lags behind many elite backs of his era. By comparison, former New England Patriots RB Curtis Martin maintained a YPC average of over 4.0 over his career.
Additionally, George’s longevity can be credited as a primary reason for his inflated career numbers. While his durability was impressive, as he started 128 consecutive games, his volume of carries arguably boosted his total yardage without demonstrating a high level of effectiveness. In fact, George never led the league in rushing and only averaged more than 4.0 YPC in two seasons.
5. Herschel Walker
Wikimedia CommonsHerschel Walker.
After a dominant college career at Georgia, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1982, Herschel Walker was expected to be a transformative player in the NFL. That didn’t happen. Across his 12-year NFL career, Walker recorded only two 1,000-yard rushing seasons (1988 and 1992). He started his career in 1986 with the Dallas Cowboys, and while he showed flashes of talent, he lacked the sustained elite production seen in other top-tier running backs.
Despite his reputation as a dynamic rusher, his career rushing total stands at 8,225 yards with an average of 4.2 yards per carry, which ranks him well below the efficiency of other backs from his era, such as Barry Sanders, who averaged 5.0 yards per carry over his career.
4. Reggie Bush
GettyEx-Saints RB Reggie Bush.
Drafted second overall by the New Orleans Saints in 2006, Reggie Bush was expected to bring his electrifying college form to the NFL after a standout collegiate career at USC. While he showed glimpses of his talent, Bush struggled to match the production of top-tier NFL backs. Over an 11-season career, Bush recorded only two 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Bush’s career numbers further underscore his status as overrated. With 5,490 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, and 3,598 receiving yards, Bush’s totals are dwarfed by those of the league’s more celebrated backs. His peak season came in 2011 with the Miami Dolphins, where he rushed for 1,086 yards — a solid figure but still relatively unimpressive for a former top draft pick.
3. DeMarco Murray
GettyEx-Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray.
In 2014, DeMarco Murray led the NFL in rushing with an impressive 1,845 yards and 13 TDs. But that performance was largely a product of the Dallas Cowboys’ elite offensive line, often considered one of the best in recent NFL history. While Murray’s single-season output was impressive, he lacked sustainability, as his production and effectiveness dropped significantly when he moved to other teams without the same caliber of O-line support.
When removing the 2014 season, his career isn’t near as impressive. Murray’s efficiency in games also waned when he moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, where he averaged just 3.6 YPC. This stark drop in productivity reflects his reliance on a strong offensive line, suggesting that his 2014 breakout wasn’t really much of a breakout.
2. Eddie Lacy
GettyEx-Packers RB Eddie Lacy.
It’s fair to call former running back Eddie Lacy a one-season wonder. Drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers in 2013, Lacy made an immediate impact, rushing for 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rookie season, which earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
However, his rookie production proved to be an outlier in a career that quickly spiraled downward due to weight issues and an overall lack of conditioning. By 2015, Lacy’s rushing yards dropped significantly to 758, a disappointing regression for a player expected to become a centerpiece for the Packers’ offense. His weight issues also led to unfortunate injuries, including a season-ending ankle injury in 2016, which further hampered his performance and availability. Despite attempts by the Packers to address his conditioning issues, including incentivizing his weight management, he never returned to form and was out of the league after five seasons.
1. Le’Veon Bell
GettyFormer RB Le’Veon Bell.
While he initially dazzled with the Pittsburgh Steelers, amassing over 1,200 rushing yards in three of his first five seasons and earning two All-Pro selections, running back Le’Veon Bell’s career trajectory took a sharp downturn after he sat out the 2018 season over a contract dispute. When he returned to the NFL in 2019 with the New York Jets, his production fell drastically. He ran for just 789 yards on 3.2 yards per carry that year — a far cry from his days in Pittsburgh.
Bell’s attempts to revive his career with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw limited success. In each stint, he never averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry — and he never reached 500 rushing yards in a season again. By failing to make a significant impact on multiple teams, Bell’s overall career stats — like his total of 6,554 rushing yards, for instance — pale in comparison to other elite backs of his era.
The list isn’t over yet! See our pick for Number 11 HERE. Sound off to let us know who we missed!
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