The NFL’s running-back renaissance is real, and the backfields are starting to look nasty again. In 2025, 17 players topped 1,000 rushing yards, the most since 2010.
Kenneth Walker III even took home Super Bowl MVP honors for the Seahawks, the first running back to win that award since Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII. Walker and Travis Etienne Jr. also landed deals worth more than $12 million per year this offseason, while Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love went No. 3 to the Cardinals.
That shift has made elite two-back setups more valuable than ever, and these five teams stand out above the rest. Four of them reached the playoffs last season, and one of those four has added a new piece to the mix.
New England may have had the strongest one-two punch in the AFC a year ago. Henderson and Stevenson powered the Patriots’ ground game all season, combining for 1,514 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season. That production helped New England win its first AFC East title since 2019, back when Tom Brady was still the face of the franchise.
What makes the pairing so dangerous is the big-play ability on both sides. Stevenson had seven runs of 20-plus yards, while Henderson, the Ohio State second-round pick, had six. Across the league, only two players managed at least six explosive runs on fewer than 200 carries, and both were Patriots.
Stevenson’s role looked shaky for a stretch after he fumbled three times, but he still ended up carrying the ball 58 times in the postseason, compared with 30 for Henderson.
Chicago’s duo gave Ben Johnson exactly what he was expected to get when he arrived from Detroit. After watching him help scheme up Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery with the Lions, the Bears were projected to run the ball well - and they did just that.
Swift and Monangai helped carry Chicago to an 11-6 record and the NFC North title. Swift finished with 1,087 rushing yards, while Monangai, a seventh-round rookie, added 783. No team’s second-leading rusher outperformed Monangai in the league.
The next step in Chicago’s offense may depend on Caleb Williams. The Bears are hoping he becomes the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards, and if that happens, it should only open things up further for Swift and Monangai as Johnson’s system enters its second season in Chicago.
New Orleans made a clear offseason push to raise the ceiling of its offense. The Saints added first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson and signed Etienne to a three-year deal.
Etienne arrives after a sharp rebound in Jacksonville. After finishing 2024 with 558 yards and two touchdowns, he bounced back under first-year coach Liam Coen to post 1,107 rushing yards and seven scores, while also catching 36 passes for another six touchdowns.
Kamara, meanwhile, is coming off a 657-yard season and a career-low 3.6 yards per carry. Even so, the soon-to-be 31-year-old has long been one of the league’s most dangerous weapons, and in a reduced role he should have fresher legs for a Saints team chasing its first playoff trip since 2020.
Pittsburgh’s offseason brought a change too. The Steelers lost Kenneth Gainwell in free agency but added Dowdle, who comes off a 1,000-yard season in his lone year with the Panthers. Dowdle ran for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns at 4.6 yards per carry and helped Carolina pull off a surprising NFC South title.
He joins Warren, who has spent years being overlooked and finally got his chance as the featured back last season. Warren responded with 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry, plus 40 catches for 333 yards and two more scores.
With Dowdle and Warren sharing the backfield, Aaron Rodgers should have plenty of help setting up the big play.
Los Angeles rounds out the group with a combination that can beat defenses in different ways. Corum took a real step forward in his second season out of Michigan, rushing for 746 yards on 5.1 yards per carry with a 59.3% success rate while backing up Williams. His snap share climbed from 11% as a rookie to 29% in 2025, and his role looks set to keep growing.
Williams remains the headline act. He is one of only two running backs, along with Derrick Henry, to rush for at least 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of the past three seasons. Last year, he helped push the Rams to the NFC title game with 1,533 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns.
If Los Angeles gets back to the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in February, Williams will almost certainly be a major reason why.
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