The 10 best running backs in the history of the Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are one of the most historic franchises the game has to offer, as their history of pumping out championship teams and Hall of Fame players stretches almost 100 years into the past. Some of the best ball-carriers ever have called the nation's capital home.

Between Hall of Fame backs in football's Jurassic years, iconic runners who helped shape multiple championship teams in the 1980s, and new runners who made impacts after the beginning of the new millennium, Washington's history of hard-charging runners is rich and fertile.

These 10 players are already the best in franchise history, emerging as clear-cut standouts when compared to the rest of the backs in franchise history. Will any of the new additions in Washington ever be able to equal the stellar performances of this group?

Criteria for selection

These running backs were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 10 running backs in Washington Commanders history

10. Joe Washington

In his prime, Washington was 5-9 and maybe 170 pounds. That didn't stop him from becoming one of the most elusive backs in the league. Having once led the league in receptions as a running back, Washington became a DC great after arriving snatching him away from the Colts.

A member of the 1982 champions, Washington recorded over 1,200 yards from scrimmage twice in three years despite sharing carries with John Riggins. Despite his size, he and Riggins formed one of the great thunder and lightning backfield tandems ever under the masterful watch of Joe Gibbs.

9. Alfred Morris

No one expected Morris to be anything, as he was a sicth-round pick from Florida Atlantic that hardly fit the profile of a high-end NFL running back. Kyle Shanahan, for whatever reason, took a liking to Morris, and he was able to shine in his offense to the tune of some unbelievable rookie numbers.

Morris ran for a ridiculous 1,613 yards and scored 13 touchdowns during his rookie season. All-Pro honors followed soon after. Sadly, this would be the height of Morris' career, as he saw his rushing yards decline significantly in each of the next five seasons.

Even with that downturn, Morris had three straight 1,000-yard campaigns and ranks fifth all-time in the nearly 100-year history of the franchise in rushing yards.

8. Terry Allen

Norv Turner was not a good coach, but he was able to put together a few fairly interesting offenses when he got in a groove. Coming over from Minnesota following a knee injury, Allen was the heart of the Washington backfield in the late 1990s, consistently grinding out tough yards.

Allen followed two 1,000-yard seasons in Minnesota with back-to-back campaigns with at least 1,300 yards. 1996 may be one of the three best running back seasons in franchise history, as he ran for an astounding 21 touchdowns. His yards per carry fell in the gutter next year and he was gone by 1999, but those first two years established him as a first-rate back.

7. George Rogers

While many remember the former Nebraska star as the player the Saints infamously drafted over Lawrence Taylor, Rogers had a very nice career in his own right. While his days of leading the league in rushing yards were over, his time being an effective lead power back was not.

Rogers had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 1985 and 1986, pacing the NFL with 18 touchdowns in the latter season. While his production dropped in 1987, and he did not start in the team's Super Bowl win, he was the leading rusher for most of the season.

6. Stephen Davis

After Allen was unable to cement himself as a high-end back due to bumps and bruises slowing him down, the responsibility of carrying the load fell to Davis in the late 1990s and early 2000s. One of the more underrated backs of his day, Davis made two Pro Bowls in Washington.

Davis led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 1999. Between 1999 and 2001, an average season consisted of just under 1,600 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Davis would have been much higher on this list without the Portis acquisition, as he signed with the Panthers in 2003 and helped take them to the Super Bowl.

5. Earnest Byner

Everyone remembers "The Fumble" in Cleveland, so much so that Byner has become the Bill Buckner of the NFL. Much like how Buckner's 2,700 career hits were overshadowed by his lowest moment, the elusive Byner was one of the best dual-threat backs in the league. His time in Washington proved that.

Byner ran for more yards in Washington than with the Browns, piling up two straight Pro Bowl nods. In 1991, Byner was the lead back on a Super Bowl team often heralded as having one of the greatest offenses of all time.

Commanders fans are well aware of just how good Byner was, even if fans in Northeast Ohio curse his name.

4. Cliff Battles

While Sammy Baugh is rightly regarded as the greatest player of his era and the marquee face of the franchise at the time, Battles played a very important role before he got to town when the franchise was in Boston. His short six-year career was so legendary that he managed to get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Battles was an All-Pro five times in six years, leading the NFL in rushing yards in both his rookie and final seasons in 1932 and 1937. A member of the 1930s All-Decade team and an NFL champion in 1937, Battles was called "the greatest open-field runner I ever saw" by teammates.

3. Clinton Portis

Ask anyone about Washington's teams in the 2000s, and Portis' name will always be the first or second everyone mentions. Acquired in a true win-win trade where Champ Bailey was sent to Denver (OK, the Broncos won a bit more than Washington), Portis' prime cemented him as one of the decade's premier offensive players.

While he made just one Pro Bowl and All-Pro team due to the depth of the position in the NFC at the time, Portis' numbers were up there with anyone. Portis topped 1,250 rushing yards and 1,500 yards from scrimmage four times in five years, scoring 45 touchdowns in that span.

Portis retired just 77 yards short of hitting the 10,000-yard mark, putting him 32nd all-time. He never had the elite quarterback play needed to take pressure off him. For years in Washington, he and he alone was what made their offense go.

2. Larry Brown

A lowly ninth-round pick who played most of his career for a coach in George Allen who was neurotic about playing veterans over young players, Brown was not guaranteed much in the pros. While he is another great Washington back with a short career, he was the main offensive piece on a team that competed for championships for the better part of a decade.

The league MVP in 1972 after amassing 1,689 yards from scrimmage in 12 games, Brown was a Pro Bowler in four straight years between 1969 and 1972 and an All-Pro three times. His 17-game paces in that span would have helped him achieve just under 1,800 scrimmage yards per season. He was out of football by 1976, but Allen's teams needed a leader like Brown in the backfield.

1. John Riggins

The colorful Riggins owns every Washington rushing record that matters, and every single yard he picked up was earned. One of the great power backs in NFL history, Riggins, acquired as a free agent from the Jets, was able to be an effective runner between the tackles well into his 30s, which is a rarity.

The Diesel did record two 1,000-yard seasons prior to his infamous holdout, but the arrival of Joe Gibbs made him a legend. Well into his 30s, Riggins led the league in rushing touchdowns twice in a row in 1983 and 1984, including a mind-boggling 24 scores in the former year.

Riggins is best remembered for contributing to a champion in 1982. In that year, he won Super Bowl XVII MVP and blessed NFL Films with that iconic image of him running over Don McNeal and charging to the end zone. Riggo remains one of the greatest to ever suit up in Washington and the best back this franchise has ever had.