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Detroit Lions Rushing Yards Leaders

Career totals with the Lions and the best single seasons in club history. Includes the 2026 season through October 19: these records are rebuilt every night, so a mark set yesterday is here this morning. Figures before 1932 are reconstructions; the NFL kept no official statistics. Portsmouth Spartans 1930-1933.

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Barry Sanders holds the Lions career record with 15,269 rushing yards. The single-season record is 2,053, by Barry Sanders in 1997.

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

All-time Lions leaders

Career totals with the club
# Player With the club YDS G
1 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1989–1998 15,269 153
2 Billy Sims Billy Sims 1980–1984 5,106 60
3 Dexter Bussey Dexter Bussey 1974–1984 5,105 150
4 Altie Taylor Altie Taylor 1969–1975 4,297 91
5 Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs 2023–2026 4,084 54
6 Nick Pietrosante Nick Pietrosante 1959–1965 3,933 89
7 James Jones James Jones 1983–1988 3,452 85
8 Ace Gutowsky Ace Gutowsky 1932–1938 3,077 77
9 Mel Farr Mel Farr 1967–1973 3,072 69
10 Kevin Jones Kevin Jones 2004–2007 3,067 53
11 James Stewart James Stewart 2000–2002 2,890 41
12 Dutch Clark Dutch Clark 1931–1938 2,772 75
13 Dan Lewis 1958–1964 2,698 84
14 David Montgomery David Montgomery 2023–2025 2,506 45
15 Greg Landry Greg Landry 1968–1978 2,502 102
16 Steve Owens 1970–1974 2,451 53
17 Bob Hoernschemeyer 1950–1955 2,439 59
18 Kevin Smith Kevin Smith 2008–2012 2,345 51
19 Ernie Caddel Ernie Caddel 1933–1938 2,311 64
20 Joique Bell Joique Bell 2012–2016 2,235 62
21 Horace King 1975–1983 2,081 123
22 Bobby Layne Bobby Layne 1950–1958 1,793 97
23 Bill Shepherd 1935–1940 1,699 51
24 D'Andre Swift D'Andre Swift 2020–2022 1,680 40
25 Jamaal Williams Jamaal Williams 2021–2022 1,667 30

Single-season Lions records

Best seasons in club history
# Player Season YDS G
1 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1997 2,053 16
2 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1994 1,883 16
3 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1996 1,553 16
4 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1991 1,548 15
5 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1995 1,500 16
6 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1998 1,491 16
7 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1989 1,470 15
8 Billy Sims Billy Sims 1981 1,437 14
9 Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs 2024 1,412 17
10 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1992 1,352 16
11 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1990 1,304 16
12 Billy Sims Billy Sims 1980 1,303 16
13 Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs 2025 1,223 17
14 James Stewart James Stewart 2000 1,184 16
15 Kevin Jones Kevin Jones 2004 1,133 15
16 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders 1993 1,115 11
17 Jamaal Williams Jamaal Williams 2022 1,066 17
18 Billy Sims Billy Sims 1983 1,040 13
19 Steve Owens 1971 1,035 14
20 James Stewart James Stewart 2002 1,021 14
21 David Montgomery David Montgomery 2023 1,015 14
22 Reggie Bush Reggie Bush 2013 1,006 14
23 Kevin Smith Kevin Smith 2008 975 16
24 Jahmyr Gibbs Jahmyr Gibbs 2023 945 15
25 Dexter Bussey Dexter Bussey 1978 924 16