List of National Football League career all-purpose yards leaders
This is a list of National Football League players with a career total of over 15,000 all-purpose yards.
Players listed in bold currently active.
| Rank | Player | Position regularly played | Seasons by team | Total all-purpose yards gained | Total rushing yards gained | Total receiving yards gained | Total interception return yards gained | Total punt return yards gained | Total kickoff return yards gained | Total recovered fumble return yards gained | Year of induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| 1 | Jerry Rice | Wide receiver | San Francisco 49ers Oakland Raiders Seattle Seahawks | 23,546 | 645 | 22,895 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2010 |
| 2 | Brian Mitchell | Running back Punt returner Kick returner | Washington Redskins Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants | 23,330 | 1,967 | 2,336 | 0 | 4,999 | 14,014 | 14 | - |
| 3 | Walter Payton | Running back | Chicago Bears | 21,803 | 16,726 | 4,538 | 0 | 0 | 539 | 0 | 1993 |
| 4 | Emmitt Smith | Running back | Dallas Cowboys Arizona Cardinals | 21,564 | 18,355 | 3,224 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2010 | |
| 5 | Darren Sproles | Running back Punt returner Kick returner | San Diego Chargers New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles | 19,696 | 3,552 | 4,840 | 0 | 2,961 | 8,352 | Eligible in 2025 | |
| 6 | Tim Brown | Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | L.A./Oakland Raiders Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 19,682 | 190 | 14,934 | 0 | 3,320 | 1,235 | 3 | 2015 |
| 7 | Frank Gore | Running back | San Francisco 49ers ' Indianapolis Colts ' Miami Dolphins ' Buffalo Bills ' | 19,243 | 15,347 | 3,896 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | Not applicable |
| 8 | Steve Smith Sr. | Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | Carolina Panthers Baltimore Ravens | 19,180 | 387 | 14,731 | 0 | 1,684 | 2,371 | 7 | Eligible in 2022 |
| 9 | Marshall Faulk | Running back | Indianapolis Colts St. Louis Rams | 19,190 | 12,279 | 6,875 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 2011 |
| 10 | LaDainian Tomlinson | Running back | San Diego Chargers New York Jets | 18,456 | 13,684 | 4,772 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2017 |
| 11 | Barry Sanders | Running back | Detroit Lions | 18,308 | 15,269 | 2,921 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 0 | 2004 |
| 12 | Herschel Walker | Running back Kick returner | Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants | 18,168 | 8,225 | 4,859 | 0 | 0 | 5,084 | 0 | - |
| 13 | Marcus Allen | Running back | Los Angeles Raiders Kansas City Chiefs | 17,648 | 12,243 | 5,411 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2003 | |
| 14 | Curtis Martin | Running back | New England Patriots New York Jets | 17,421 | 14,101 | 3,329 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2012 | |
| 15 | Tiki Barber | Running back | New York Giants | 17,359 | 10,449 | 5,183 | 0 | 1,181 | 544 | 2 | - |
| 16 | Eric Metcalf | Running back Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | Cleveland Browns Atlanta Falcons San Diego Chargers Arizona Cardinals Carolina Panthers Washington Redskins Green Bay Packers | 17,230 | 2,392 | 5,572 | 0 | 3,453 | 5,813 | 0 | - |
| 17 | Derrick Mason | Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | Tennessee Oilers/Titans Baltimore Ravens New York Jets Houston Texans | 17,150 | 3 | 12,061 | 0 | 1,590 | 3,496 | 0 | - |
| 18 | Wes Welker | Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | San Diego Chargers Miami Dolphins New England Patriots Denver Broncos St. Louis Rams | 16,797 | 151 | 9,924 | 0 | 2,584 | 4,138 | 0 | Eligible in 2021 |
| 19 | Thurman Thomas | Running back | Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins | 16,532 | 12,074 | 4,458 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2007 |
| 20 | Larry Fitzgerald | Wide receiver | Arizona Cardinals | 16,460 | 68 | 16,392 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Not applicable |
| 21 | Tony Dorsett | Running back | Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos | 16,326 | 12,739 | 3,554 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1994 |
| 22 | Terrell Owens | Wide receiver | San Francisco 49ers Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals | 16,276 | 251 | 15,934 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 13 | 2018 |
| 23 | Adrian Peterson | Running back | Minnesota Vikings ' New Orleans Saints ' Arizona Cardinals ' Washington Redskins ' | 15,957 | 13,318 | 2,223 | 0 | 0 | 428 | ' | Not applicable |
| 24 | Henry Ellard | Wide receiver | Los Angeles Rams Washington Redskins New England Patriots | 15,718 | 50 | 13,777 | 0 | 1,527 | 364 | 0 | - |
| 25 | Warrick Dunn | Running back | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Atlanta Falcons | 15,665 | 10,967 | 4,339 | 0 | 48 | 310 | 1 | - |
| 26 | Randy Moss | Wide receiver | Minnesota Vikings Oakland Raiders New England Patriots Tennessee Titans San Francisco 49ers | 15,644 | 159 | 15,292 | 0 | 162 | 33 | 2018 | |
| 27 | Edgerrin James | Running back | Indianapolis Colts Arizona Cardinals Seattle Seahawks | 15,610 | 12,246 | 3,364 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2020 |
| 28 | Irving Fryar | Wide receiver Punt returner | New England Patriots Miami Dolphins Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins | 15,594 | 242 | 12,785 | 0 | 2,055 | 505 | 7 | - |
| 29 | Jim Brown | Running back | Cleveland Browns | 15,459 | 12,312 | 2,499 | 0 | 0 | 648 | 0 | 1971 |
| 30 | Josh Cribbs | Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | Cleveland Browns Oakland Raiders New York Jets Indianapolis Colts | 15,453 | 808 | 1,175 | 0 | 2,375 | 11,113 | - | |
| 31 | Eric Dickerson | Running back | Los Angeles Rams Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Raiders Atlanta Falcons | 15,411 | 13,259 | 2,137 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1999 |
| 32 | Isaac Bruce | Wide receiver | L.A./St. Louis Rams San Francisco 49ers | 15,399 | 139 | 15,208 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 2020 |
| 33 | Ted Ginn | Wide receiver Punt returner Kick returner | Miami Dolphins ' San Francisco 49ers ' Carolina Panthers ' Arizona Cardinals New Orleans Saints ' | 15,246 | 468 | 5,281 | 0 | 2,600 | 6,899 | ' | Not applicable |
| 34 | Steven Jackson | Running back | St. Louis Rams Atlanta Falcons New England Patriots | 15,191 | 11,438 | 3,683 | 0 | 0 | 79 | Eligible in 2021 | |
| 35 | Tony Gonzalez | Tight end | Kansas City Chiefs Atlanta Falcons | 15,141 | 14 | 15,127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2019 |
| 36 | Jerome Bettis | Running back | L.A./St. Louis Rams Pittsburgh Steelers | 15,113 | 13,662 | 1,449 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2015 |
| 37 | Allen Rossum | Corner back Punt returner Kick returner | Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay Packers Atlanta Falcons Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Dallas Cowboys | 15,046 | 17 | 4 | 22 | 3,056 | 11,947 | 0 | - |