Most rushing yards by a QB in NFL history

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is familiar with breaking records. He has the most rushing yards in a season of any quarterback (1,206) has won two MVPs, two All Pro selections and will likely be in a Hall of Fame jacket when all is said and done.

But even with all of his accomplishments, breaking the all-time quarterback rushing record is a pretty cool feat. Heading into a Christmas Day matchup with Houston, the Ravens quarterback has rushed for 6,001 yards, good for No. 2 all-time, behind only Michael Vick’s 6,109 yards, still the most by a QB.

In an era of rushing quarterbacks, this list may change frequently in the coming years. But for now, these are the top-five quarterbacks in career rushing yards in NFL history.

Russell Wilson was an incredible talent in his prime (and is still a good NFL quarterback), but I admit I’m surprised he’s so high on the QB list.

Still (relatively) early in his NFL tenure, Jackson will end up being miles ahead of everyone else on this list. Russell Wilson is good for a few hundred more yards, but that’s about it, and the other three are long since retired. Jackson could very well eclipse 10,000 rushing yards, though his pace slows the further into his career he goes.

When Jackson inevitably passes Vick (it could be by Christmas, but if not, it will likely happen this season) he holds the career rushing record, and he already holds the single-season rushing record for a quarterback.

Sorry Bobby Douglass, I wasn’t familiar with your rush game in 1972. I wasn’t born yet, so that’s probably why. Still, respect. Enjoy your time on this list… it might not be much longer.

Also Justin Fields? Over 1100 rushing yards in a season? Good for you too, Justin! Playing those Bears teams didn’t look fun, so that’s an impressive number.

Jackson is one of just three QBs to pass 1,000 rushing yards in a season, and the only player to do it twice. He’ll likely become the only player to do it three times at some point, though his rushing totals have hovered around 700-800 yards in previous years after two straight 1K-plus seasons.

This is one of the weirder stats, because even though Jackson will finish his career at the top of most quarterback rushing categories, he hasn’t even cracked the top 10 in quarterback rushing touchdowns. Obviously, this is not a clear indicator of how well a quarterback ran; many of these come from short plays and quarterback sneaks on the goal line.

Aaron Rodgers is in the top 10! He is tied for No. 10 all-time with 35 rushing scores. Cam Newton still has a team at no. 1 place by a wide margin, with 75 touchdowns. However, Josh Allen can grab that spot as the Bills quarterback has 64 career rushing scores.

Jackson is so impressive as a runner because of his consistency; but he will also jump into singles. His career high in one game is 152, which ranks no. 5 all-time for single-game QB rushing yards.

In first place is Justin Fields, who rushed for 178 yards in 2022, passing Michael Vick in 2002 and Michael Vick in 2006. Jalen Hurts is no. 4 on the singles list, and is also on pace for 157 in 2022. Justin Fields is all over these lists! Who knew?

As Lamar Jackson progresses in his career, he runs the ball less than he did in his first three seasons. He’s still the best running quarterback in the league, but he and John Harbaugh are understandably trying to protect Jackson’s body more as he gets older and takes more hits.

When it’s all said and done, Jackson will have a few thousand yard stiff arm tied for second in the all-time rushing yards by a quarterback list. He is a rare talent and it is a pleasure to see him in his prime. Baltimore fans should cherish the moments when Jackson leads their team.