Running back is a younger man’s position. Guys tend to put up their best numbers in their mid-to-late 20s. You do, however, usually see an older back or two crash the party.

Not a ton of such backs, however. In the last 20 seasons, 33 running backs who were at least 30 years old at the end of the season finished with top-20 numbers (using PPR scoring). That’s about 1-2 per year. In only eight of those seasons did multiple 30-year-olds finish with top-20 numbers.

Cordarrelle Patterson was the best of the older running backs last year, ranking 10th in overall production (again, PPR). But production has been down recently. In the last five seasons combined, only three other 30-plus running backs have finished with top-20 numbers, and two of those guys were of the lesser variety (with Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson ranking 20th and 19th in total production in the 2017-18 seasons.

OLDER BACKS WITH TOP-20 NUMBERS
YearPlayerAgeRunRecYdsTDPPRRk
2000Ricky Watters, Sea.311,2426131,8559302.57
2000Lamar Smith, Mia.301,1392011,34016261.013
2001Lamar Smith, Mia.319682341,2028198.218
2001Garrison Hearst, S.F.301,2063471,5535226.313
2002Garrison Hearst, S.F.319723171,2899232.920
2002Charlie Garner, Oak.309629411,90311347.34
2003Priest Holmes, K.C.301,4206902,11027447.01
2003Marshall Faulk, St.L.308182901,10811221.816
2003Curtis Martin, NYJ301,3082621,5702211.018
2004Curtis Martin, NYJ311,6972451,94214319.25
2004Priest Holmes, K.C.318921871,07915216.918
2004Corey Dillon, N.E.301,6351031,73813268.88
2005Mike Anderson, Den.321,0142121,22613218.612
2005Corey Dillon, N.E.3173318191413191.417
2005Tiki Barber, NYG301,8605302,39011361.04
2005Warrick Dunn, Atl.301,4162201,6364216.613
2006Tiki Barber, NYG311,6624652,1275300.76
2006Fred Taylor, Jac.301,1462421,3886197.820
2008Thomas Jones, NYJ301,3122071,51915277.95
2009Ricky Williams, Mia.321,1212641,38513253.56
2009Thomas Jones, NYJ311,402581,46014240.09
2010LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ319143681,2826216.215
2011Fred Jackson, Buff.309344421,3766212.614
2013Fred Jackson, Buff.328903871,27710234.711
2013Frank Gore, S.F.301,1281411,2699196.918
2014Fred Jackson, Buff.335255011,0263188.616
2015DeAngelo Williams, Pitt.329073671,27411235.45
2015Frank Gore, Ind.329672671,2347199.414
2015Adrian Peterson, Min.301,4852221,70711266.72
2015Danny Woodhead, S.D.303367551,0919243.13
2015Matt Forte, Chi.308983891,2877216.78
2016Frank Gore, Ind.331,0252771,3028216.212
2016LeGarrette Blount, N.E.301,161381,19918234.99
2017Frank Gore, Ind.349612451,2064173.620
2018Adrian Peterson, Was.331,0422081,2508193.019
2019Mark Ingram, Balt.301,0182471,26515246.510
2021Cordarrelle Patterson, Atl.306185481,16611234.610

—Ian Allan