July 22, 2026, 4:05 a.m. ET

Hey Commanders fans, how well do you think Washington has done in having quality NFL running backs?

It will probably surprise many, but the Redskins/Commanders have actually had some of the better NFL running backs at various points of the Super Bowl era (1966-2025). Larry Brown was the 1972 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. That year, he led the NFL in rushing yards per game, averaging 101.3. Brown also led the NFL in rushing yards in 1970.

There was John Riggins, who broke an NFL record with 24 rushing touchdowns in 1983. Riggins wore the Burgundy and Gold for 114 games, rushing for 79 rushing touchdowns. In 1986, George Rogers rushed for 18 touchdowns, helping lead the Redskins to the NFC Championship Game. Earnest Byner in 1989 led all NFL runners in rushing success rate at 60.4. Terry Allen in 1996 led the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 21.

Stephen Davis had three straight seasons over 1,300 rushing yards for Washington from 1999-2001. In that 1999 season, Davis led all NFL runners averaging 100.4 rushing yards a game, and totaling 17 rushing touchdowns. In Coach Marty Schottenheimer’s lone season with Washington (2001), he knew what he had in Davis and rode him 356 times (tops in the NFL) for 1,432 rushing yards.

Clinton Portis led the NFL in rushing attempts in 2007 for Washington. Portis had four seasons in Washington rushing for over 1,200 yards (1,315, 1,516, 1,262 and 1487). All Alfred Morris did was rush for over 1,000 yards three consecutive seasons in Washington (2012-2014). Morris is the answer that many Washington fans do not know: Who holds the Washington rushing yards record in a single season?’ Yes, it was Morris, who rushed for 1,613 yards in that 2012 season. At age 33 in 2018, Adrian Peterson rushed for 1,042 yards, maintaining an impressive 4.2 yards per carry.

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Washington has enjoyed plenty of running back success. New offensive coordinator David Blough is looking for ways to further protect quarterback Jayden Daniels. It’s no secret that one of the better ways to protect your quarterback is to have him handing off the ball to an effective running back. The more effective the running attack, the more effective Daniels’ play-action fakes in the passing game could be in 2026 for the Commanders.