The 10 best running backs in the history of the Cleveland Browns

Throughout the NFL, the running back position is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Teams are much more reliant on the passing game now, but the Cleveland Browns still understand the importance of the ground game.

With Nick Chubb suffering a devastating knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season, the Browns turned to Jerome Ford as their primary back. Ford put up decent numbers but was far from the game-changer Chubb had been for the past six seasons.

Even without that reminder, Cleveland fans have always loved a solid rushing attack. A hard-nosed run game and stout defense reminds them of their blue-collar approach to life. With that being said, let's look over the long and proud history of the franchise and identify the 10 best running backs to wear the Orange and Brown.

Criteria for selection

• Rushing statistics
• Impact on franchise success
• All-Pro/Pro Bowl selections
• Longevity

The top 10 running backs in Cleveland Browns history

10. Kareem Hunt

Years with the Browns: 2019-23
Rushing Yardage: 2,285
Rushing Touchdowns: 25

A hometown kid, Kareem Hunt turned his career around with the Browns. He started on fire with the Kansas City Chiefs and led the NFL in rushing yardage as a rookie, but he was released after 11 games in 2018 after a video surfaced of him in a physical altercation with a woman. Hunt left the Chiefs with 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns in 27 games.

John Dorsey, who was the general manager at the time, brought him in to pair with Nick Chubb, and for the next four seasons, they were the best rushing duo in the NFL. Chubb was the all-around back who could do anything, and Hunt was a short-yardage beast who was just as dangerous catching the ball as he was running it.

Hunt wasn't originally re-signed in 2023, but after Chubb was injured, he came back and rang up nine touchdowns in the regular season and scored two more in the playoffs. He spent five seasons with the Browns and finished with 2,285 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground and another 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns on 147 receptions.

9. Greg Pruitt

Years with the Browns: 1973-81
Rushing Yardage: 5,496
Rushing Touchdowns: 25

When Greg Pruitt left Oklahoma to enter the NFL, there were concerns about his size. At 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, he inspired doubts as to whether he could hold up at the next level, but he wound up putting together an impressive 12-year career.

Pruitt was brought along slowly with just 61 rushing attempts as a rookie. In Year 2, he began to get more opportunities and started nine games. By 1975, he was the featured back and had the first of three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.

He wasn't just good at running the ball, either. Pruitt was a problem for defenses as a receiver out of the backfield. His most impressive season in this regard was actually his final year with the team. By then, he was getting fewer opportunities as a runner due to the arrival of Mike Pruitt (no relation) but had 65 receptions for 636 yards and four touchdowns.

Pruitt was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 1982 and finished his career by playing three years with them. During that stint, he made the Pro Bowl with 666 yards and a touchdown as a punt returner.

As for his Cleveland career, Pruitt racked up 5,496 yards on the ground and 3,022 through the air with 42 touchdowns. As a returner, Pruitt had 659 yards on punt returns and 1,523 with another touchdown on kickoffs.

When it comes to pure yardage, there's a case to be made for Pruitt to climb into the top five. However, he had a major issue that was hard to overlook, fumbling the ball 59 times in nine seasons with the Browns (and 24 more times over three years in Oakland). He led the league with 12 in 1978 and had double-digit fumbles three times in nine seasons with the Browns.

8. Eric Metcalf

Years with the Browns: 1989-94
Rushing Yardage: 2,229
Rushing Touchdowns: 11

Taken 13th overall out of Texas in 1989, Eric Metcalf was a standout athlete. He was an excellent running back and receiver for the Longhorns while also standing out as a return man. In addition to his performance on the football field, Metcalf had a distinguished career in track and field.

As a rookie, he had 633 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and another 397 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver. That proved to be the only year he crossed 1,000 yards from scrimmage since he was leaned on heavily with Kevin Mack playing in just four games.

When Mack was healthy again in 1990, he received the majority of the touches again, and Metcalf had just 248 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He continued to be a weapon in the passing game with 452 yards that season. He also led the NFL with with 1,052 returns yards and two touchdowns on kickoffs.

Metcalf left following the 1994 season after making two Pro Bowls in a row. He had 2,229 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, 2,732 yards and 15 touchdowns on 297 receptions, 1,341 yards and five touchdowns on punt returns, and 2,806 yards and two touchdowns on kick returns. He was a weapon in several facets of the game, making him one of the best — and most versatile — players to ever suit up for the Browns.

7. Earnest Byner

Years with the Browns: 1984-1988. 1994-95
Rushing Yardage: 3,364
Rushing Touchdowns: 27

Earnest Byner was a 10th-round pick in 1984 and wasn't expected to do much in the NFL. That wasn't the case, however, as he finished his 14-year career with 8,261 yards, which was 16th in the league when he retired. He's since been passed by many running backs but remains 44th in league history — ahead of players such as Jamaal Charles, Terrell Davis, Priest Holmes, and Herschel Walker.

Byner didn't record all those yards in Cleveland, though. Had he done so, he would have easily been in the top three. Instead, he put up 3,364 yards on the ground and 2,630 through the air.

Byner finished with 37 total touchdowns and is a huge part of franchise history. In 1985, he ran for 1,002 yards and eight touchdowns while teammate Kevin Mack had 1,104 as a rookie — making them part of an elite club of teammates to gain 1,000 yards in the same season.

Unfortunately, Byner is widely known for his 1987 AFC Championship Game mistake. Although he had 187 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, which helped the Browns close a 21-3 deficit, most only remember the running back fumbling the ball as he attempted to tie the score late in the game. Known as "The Fumble," this play allowed the Denver Broncos to seal the victory and ended Cleveland's chances of making it to the Super Bowl for the first time.

6. Mike Pruitt

Years with the Browns: 1976-84
Rushing Yardage: 6,540
Rushing Touchdowns: 47

Mike Pruitt was taken seventh overall out of Purdue in 1976 and started his career as a backup to Greg Pruitt. He became a full-time starter in 1979 and earned the first of two trips to the Pro Bowl that year when he put up 1,294 yards and nine touchdowns.

Pruitt was also dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 41 receptions for 372 yards and two more touchdowns. He followed that up with 63 receptions in 1980 and 1981. He had a streak of three consecutive seasons with more than 1,000 yards on the ground, which was ended by the strike-shortened campaign in 1982. He then put up 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1983. During his prime (1979-83), Pruitt averaged more than 93 yards from scrimmage per game.

He lost his spot to Boyce Green in 1984 and had just 506 yards on the ground in what proved to be his final season with the Browns. Pruitt played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in 1985 and 1986.

5. Kevin Mack

Years with the Browns: 1985-1993
Rushing Yardage: 5,123
Rushing Touchdowns: 46

Kevin Mack didn't join the NFL immediately after being selected in the 1984 Supplemental Draft. Instead, he had a quick stop in the USFL, where he played for the Los Angeles Express. He joined the Browns in 1985 and burst onto the scene with 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns. He and teammate Earnest Byner each crossed the 1,000-yard mark that year.

Interestingly enough, it was the only year he accomplished that feat.

Nicknamed "Mack Truck," the 6-foot-0, 224-pounder was listed as a fullback and played nine seasons in Cleveland. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and again in 1987. Mack ran for 5,123 yards and 46 touchdowns, proving to be a major weapon in short-yardage situations and near the goal line.

In addition to his work as a runner, Mack was a decent option in the passing game. He recorded 197 receptions for 1,602 yards with eight touchdowns in his career. He's still sixth in team history in rushing yardage and was named to the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

4. Marion Motley

Years with the Browns: 1946-53
Rushing Yardage: 4,712
Rushing Touchdowns: 31

Another multiposition player, Marion Motley joined the Browns in 1946 when they were still in the AAFC. Playing fullback and linebacker, Motley helped lead them to four championships in the short-lived league and then one more once they were in the NFL.

Known as an excellent blocker, the 232-pounder was also dangerous running the ball. He led the AAFC in yardage in 1948 with 964, then led it in touchdowns in 1949 with eight. Once the Browns were in the NFL, he led that league with 810 yards. In all, he had 5,819 yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns. He added another 1,122 yards on kickoff returns, plus he picked off two passes and had one pick-six on defense.

While his overall yardage might not seem elite, Motley finished his career with an average of 5.7 yards per attempt. At the time, that was the most in league history. He's been passed since then by three quarterbacks — Lamar Jackson, Randall Cunningham, and Michael Vick. To this date, no running back has bested Motley, although Nick Chubb is close with an average of 5.3 yards per rush.

3. Nick Chubb

Years with the Browns: 2018-Present
Rushing Yardage: 6,511
Rushing Touchdowns: 48

If anyone wants to understand how bad Hue Jackson was at coaching, he refused to start Nick Chubb over Carlos Hyde. If there are fans who still don't believe Jackson was out of his element, read that sentence again out loud.

Chubb was selected 35th overall out of Georgia in 2018 and finally became the full-time starter when John Dorsey traded Hyde to the Jacksonville Jaguars, forcing Jackson's hand. Chubb ran for 996 yards with eight touchdowns, although he would have had 1,000 yards if used properly at the beginning of the season.

He then crossed the 1,000-yard mark in four consecutive campaigns, hitting 1,494 in 2019 and 1,525 in 2022. Chubb is already fourth in team history with 6,511 yards rushing and third with 48 touchdowns. He could have already surpassed Mike Pruitt for third and Leroy Kelly for second if not for a devastating knee injury suffered in Week 2 of the 2023 season.

Chubb was hit low by Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, resulting in a torn ACL and MCL. He's working hard to return in 2024, and if he can come close to the form we saw before he left, he will continue to climb the franchise record books.

2. Leroy Kelly

Years with the Browns: 1964-73
Rushing Yardage: 7,274
Rushing Touchdowns: 74

Leroy Kelly had the tough task of replacing the legendary Jim Brown. As a rookie, he was a backup who watched Brown run all over everyone, leading the Browns to an NFL Championship. Kelly hardly saw the field, gaining 12 yards on two attempts. He was more active in Year 2 but still had just 139 yards on the ground and 122 through the air. He had yet to score a touchdown as a running back — although he had three on kickoff returns.

Brown retired, and Kelly became the starter in 1966. He exploded for 1,141yards and a league-leading 15 touchdowns. He led the league in both touchdowns and rushing yards in each of the next two seasons, making it three years in a row over 1,000 yards.

Kelly might not have been of the same caliber as Brown, but he was still a superstar in his own right. When he retired, he was fourth all-time in rushing yardage and third in touchdowns. He's since been surpassed by many star running backs but remains second in yardage and touchdowns in the Cleveland record books.

1. Jim Brown

Years with the Browns: 1957-65
Rushing Yardage: 12,312
Rushing Touchdowns: 106

No player in Cleveland history has ever made the impact Jim Brown has. As much as Otto Graham meant to the Browns' success during their early days, he was never as dominant.

Brown racked up 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons. That's more impressive when you realize the league played just 12 games each year for the first four he was in the league and 14 for the final five.

He led the league in rushing every year except 1962. That was also one of just two campaigns in which he didn't hit 1,000 yards, the other being his rookie season when he went for 942 — although he did lead the league with nine touchdowns.

At 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds, Brown could bowl over defenders. He earned a trip to the Pro Bowl nine times and was a three-time NFL MVP. He even won that award during his rookie campaign while also taking home the NFL Rookie of the Year Award.

His list of accomplishments is a mile long, making it surprising that he won just one NFL Championship during his tenure.

Brown left the sport ahead of the 1966 season despite having plenty of gas in the tank. Art Modell was early in his ownership tenure but had already proved how awful he would be for the franchise when he pushed Brown out the door. Upset over Brown's movie schedule, he threatened to fine him, so the star running back retired in his prime.

The 10 best running backs in Browns history by rushing yards:

More Browns coverage