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The NFL is going back to the run game.
In 2025, 17 players rushed for 1,000 yards or more. The last time that happened was in 2010, when Barack Obama was in his first term as president, and Twitter had been around for only four years.
In the Super Bowl, we watched Kenneth Walker III take home MVP honors for the Seahawks, becoming the first running back to win the award since Hall of Famer Terrell Davis did so for the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. And this offseason, Walker and Travis Etienne Jr. got more than $12 million per year on free-agency deals, while Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love was drafted No. 3 by the Cardinals.
With the running game rejuvenated, having a nasty backfield tandem is more important than it has been in some time. These five teams are among the best, and not surprisingly, four of them made the playoffs last year (though one of those four has a new addition to the backfield).
5. New England Patriots: Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson
One of the AFC champions’ best attributes a year ago was the tandem of Henderson and Stevenson leading the ground game. Between them, the rookie and the veteran racked up 1,514 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns during the regular season, helping the Patriots win their first AFC East title since the days of Tom Brady in 2019.
In both Stevenson and Henderson, New England has home-run-hitting backs. Last year, Stevenson notched seven runs of 20-plus yards while Henderson, a second-round pick from Ohio State, had six. Across the league, only two guys were able to have at least six explosive runs with fewer than 200 carries and both play for the Patriots.
After briefly looking like he’d lose his role due to fumbling three times, Stevenson was able to carry 58 the ball times during the postseason compared to Henderson’s 30 attempts.
4. Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai
With Ben Johnson as the team’s coach, the Bears were expected to run the ball effectively after watching him scheme up Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit. As it turns out, those expectations were correct.
Chicago ran its way to the NFC North title with an 11–6 record behind Swift and Monangai, with the former rushing for 1,087 yards while the latter, a seventh-round rookie, picked up 783 yards. No back who ranked second in rushing yards on his own team had more than Monangai.
Going into 2026, the Bears are hoping quarterback Caleb Williams becomes the first man in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards. If he does, that’ll open up the rushing lanes even more for Swift and Monangai as Johnson’s scheme expands in his second campaign with Chicago.
3. New Orleans Saints: Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara
Last season, the Saints showed significant strides as the year progressed. They won four of their final five games, including divisional wins over the Buccaneers and Saints.
This offseason, New Orleans upgraded the offense by adding first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson while signing Etienne to a three-year deal. Etienne comes over from the Jaguars, where, after notching 558 yards and two scores in 2024, he bounced back under first-year coach Liam Coen to amass 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 36 passes for another six scores.
As for Kamara, the soon-to-be 31-year-old is coming off a 657-yard season, including a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry average. That said, Kamara has long been one of the league’s better weapons and, in a secondary role, should have fresh legs and some more juice to offer for a Saints team trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers: Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren
This offseason, the Steelers lost Kenneth Gainwell in free agency but gained Dowdle, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season in his only year with the Panthers. Dowdle rushed for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry, helping the Panthers to a stunning NFC South title.
The newcomer will join Warren, who has quietly been one of the most underrated backs in the league for some time. Originally behind 2021 first-round pick Najee Harris, Warren became the featured back last season, gaining 958 yards with six scores on 4.5 YPC while catching 40 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
With both Dowdle and Warren in the backfield, quarterback Aaron Rodgers can rely heavily on the ground game to set up the big play.
1. Los Angeles Rams: Kyren Williams and Blake Corum
Corum became a factor in his second year out of Michigan. Playing behind Williams, Corum rushed for 746 yards on 5.1 YPC with a 59.3% success rate. A valuable backfield factor, the 25-year-old should see his role only grow. As a rookie, he played a paltry 11% of the snaps before seeing that number rise to 29% in 2025.
In the main role, the Rams have a superstar in Williams. He’s one of just two backs to rush for at least 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns each of the past three seasons, along with Derrick Henry. Last year, Williams helped lead Los Angeles to the NFC title game, with 1,533 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns.
If the Rams get to the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in February, it’ll likely be due in part to Williams having another All-Pro–caliber campaign.
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MATT VERDERAME
Matt Verderame is a national NFL staff writer for Sports Illustrated, writing features, columns and more. Before joining Sports Illustrated in March 2023, Verderame wrote for FanSided and SB Nation. He’s a proud husband to Stephanie and father of two girls, Maisy and Genevieve. In his spare time, Verderame is an avid collector of vintage baseball cards.
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