If there's one thing the NFL has plenty of going into the 2026 season, it's dynamic dual-threats at the quarterback position.
Every team wants a quarterback that can make plays outside the pocket, but some teams have playmakers who can legitimately elevate a running game and be threats to flip the field when they break contain. There are quarterbacks who can completely deflate a perfect defense with their escape-ability, and then there are some who fit the category of "cheat code" when it comes to running with the ball.
And those are the players we're focusing on in these NFL predictions. Although the field is deep and some notable players were omitted, we're going to do our best to predict the top 5 rushing yard leaders at the quarterback position for the 2026 season.
NFL Predictions: Predicting the top 5 quarterback rushing yards leaders in 2026
5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Prediction: 600 rushing yards
Over the course of his NFL career, Josh Allen averages 627 rushing yards per 17 games played. Over the last three seasons, his highest total is 579, which came just last season. This is an element of Allen's game that was really unleashed when he got into the league, and has consistently been a weapon he is able to use in a variety of ways.
Allen may not be as fast as some of the other players on this list, but he's arguably just as dynamic nonetheless. He has 871 career rushing attempts, and 403 have gone for first downs with 79 going for touchdowns. There's a reason he's always in the MVP conversation.
4. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Prediction: 650 rushing yards
It felt like Jaxson Dart's ability as a dual-threat coming out of Ole Miss was perhaps a little bit slept on, because when he got to the NFL, that became an instant asset to his game.
Dart had 487 yards during his rookie season with 9 rushing touchdowns and showed he can be very dynamic, but the ability to run also became a bit of a cause for concern as well. Dart's fairly reckless style of running led to him being evaluated for concussions five times last season, even missing time during the season due to concussions.
Mismanagement of Dart's health and head injuries seemed to be a final straw for the Giants' organization, and he was fired during the season.
Still, the ability to run is part of Dart's game that will be utilized. John Harbaugh is used to having the running quarterback as part of his offensive arsenal.
3. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Prediction: 700 rushing yards
When Jayden Daniels is fully healthy, he's going to be one of the most productive running quarterbacks in the NFL.
During his rookie season in 2024, Daniels ran for 891 yards and six touchdowns. He was obviously limited to just 278 yards in 7 games, but even with an injury-plagued year, his rushing yards per game average was down from over 52 to just over 39.
The Commanders have a new offensive coordinator, but the goal is going to be the same: Let Daniels do what he does best. Obviously, it can't be at the expense of his health, but the Commanders know that if they're going to have success as an offense,
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Prediction: 800 rushing yards
Lamar Jackson is already the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards for a quarterback with 6,522 rushing yards. He averages 956 rushing yards per 17 games played. It feels like an estimation of 800 yards is conservative enough as Jackson is coming off of a season where he was dealing with hamstring and back injuries.
Even with some dings, you have to expect that Jackson is going to be one of the most productive runners at the quarterback position in the NFL. He has averaged 56.2 yards per game and 6 yards per carry over the course of his career.
The Ravens have a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle, so it will be interesting to see how he gets Jackson going and back on his MVP-caliber track.
1. Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Prediction: 850 rushing yards
This is the one player we're really going out on a limb for, because Malik Willis doesn't have a huge sample size to look at compared to some of the other players on this list.
Willis is obviously a tremendous talent as a runner and has proven that in his time as a backup with the Green Bay Packers. Over the last two seasons, he averaged 6.2 yards per carry and showed his elite upside in this phase of his game.
The Dolphins are going to be a run-heavy team this coming season. That's what their personnel on offense is telling us. It wouldn't be shocking to see Willis go for even 1,000 yards as a runner, but we don't want to get too carried away.
This is going to be something the Dolphins likely ask him to do a lot, and in his first year as a starting quarterback -- regardless of the team's results -- I think we're going to see him lead the league among QBs in rushing yards.