Every NFL team’s greatest running back of all time

Establishing the run has always been key to winning in the NFL. Here, we look at all 32 teams and pick the best running back they’ve ever had.

Even with the NFL becoming more of a passing league, there’s still nothing that helps an offense more than being able to control the clock and the tempo with a dominant running game.

Not only does establishing the run help control the clock, but it allows offensive linemen to take over the game. These big guys thrive on physicality and get pumped when asked to clear holes for their respective ground games.

Yes, the exciting plays are the deep passes, but when the weather gets cold, teams that can turn things over to their running back have a decided advantage.

Here, we look at which runners have been the absolute best to ever play for all 32 NFL franchises, starting with the Arizona Cardinals.

If he can play a few more healthy seasons, there’s a real chance David Johnson could end up taking over as the Cardinals‘ best running back. He has the ability to change the course of the game both on the ground and through the air. Johnson even has 1,000 yards rushing and receiving on his mind for 2019.

However, at this point, the best running back in Cardinals’ history is Ottis Anderson. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winner in 1979, Anderson sits atop the Cardinals’ leaderboard for rushing yards with 7,999 and touchdowns with 46.

Anderson was traded to the New York Giants during the 1986 NFL season and played there through 1992. That move was good for him, as he won two Super Bowls and was the MVP for New York in Super Bowl XXV.