Ranking the 5 Best Running Backs in Green Bay Packers History

The Green Bay Packers are an NFL franchise with a lot of history. Packers fans are also some of the league’s most enthusiastic fans. From the legendary Vince Lombardi after whom the Super Bowl trophy is named, to the frozen Tundra that is the iconic Lambeau Field, Green Bay’s football heritage is one to treasure.

When it comes to the players that have played for the Packers, the first ones that come to mind are the quarterbacks. As a matter of fact, the top three players in franchise history are all quarterbacks in Bart Starr, Brett Favre, and more recently Aaron Rodgers.

But, after them, most of the other players from different positions have gotten overlooked, quite possibly because not many of them have stood out as much while the three quarterbacks have earned legendary status.

In any case, here, we will attempt to rank the top five running backs to have played for the Packers over the years.

5. Paul Hornung (1957-1962, 1964-1966)

If we go by accolades, Paul Hornung should probably be higher on this list. He is a four-time NFL champion and won the first-ever Super Bowl with the Packers. Hornung also won the NFL MVP in 1961. He was the NFL rushing touchdowns leader in 1960 and was selected twice to the Pro Bowl and earned First-Team All-Pro selections twice.

In spite of these achievements, the biggest knock on Hornung’s career comes from the fact that his production levels were not high enough most of the time. Overall, he was a player who could do a little bit of running, catching, and even kick-returning, but he had to share carries for with Jim Taylor, and that didn’t help his case.

In terms of total rushing yards, his 3,711 rushing yards put him 10th on the Packers’ all-time list, but he ranks third in terms of rushing touchdowns with 50.

Hornung is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.

4. John Brockington (1971-1977)

John Brockington’s career in the NFL got off to a terrific start. In 1971, he was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as he rushed for 1,105 yards with an average of 5.1 yards per carry. His stellar play continued for two more years as he put up three consecutive 1,000-plus-yard seasons.

Unfortunately, though, he was limited to a north-south runner and didn’t have enough burst to break tackles. After his third season, he never crossed 1,000 yards rushing, and his performance kept deteriorating year by year.

Brockington did, however, make three Pro Bowls, and he was selected twice to the First-Team All-Pro and twice to the Second-Team All-Pro. He is another member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

3. Aaron Jones (2017-2023)

At No. 3 is one of the more modern-day players to have donned the Packers uniform. Aaron Jones played for Green Bay from 2017 until the end of the 2023 season. During his seven seasons with the Packers, Jones quickly established himself as one of the top running backs in the NFL.

Jones has 5,490 rushing yards, which places him third all-time in Packers history. He also ranks third with 45 rushing touchdowns. Although he has only one Pro Bowl appearance, Jones’ rushing average of 5.0 yards per carry is much higher than anybody else in Green Bay’s history.

2. Jim Taylor (1958-1966)

One of the first running backs for the Packers to have performed at an exceptionally high level is Jim Taylor. In his nine seasons in Green Bay, Taylor amassed 8,207 rushing yards, which places him second in Packers history behind only Ahman Green.

Moreover, Taylor leads all other running backs to have played for Green Bay with 91 rushing touchdowns. That is 36 touchdowns more than the second-placed Green.

Taylor won 4 NFLchampionships, 1 Super Bowl, and the 1962 NFL MVP while playing for the Packers. He is also a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time First-Team All-Pro and a three-time Second-Team All-Pro. He also led the NFL in rushing yards in 1962.

He is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame

1. Ahman Green (2000-2006, 2009)

Die-hard Packers fans may have a difference of opinion on who should be No. 1 and who should be No. 2 on this list. However, if we take the numbers and the overall play into account, the top spot goes to Ahman Green.

Green’s career didn’t get off to the best possible start. Drafted by the Seahawks in 1998, Green was going nowhere in Seattle until he joined the Packers in 2000. From there, he had five back-to-back 1,000-yard-plus rushing seasons until the 2005 campaign, when he played in only 5 games due to an injury.

In 2003, he set a Packers record for most rushing yards in a single season with 1,883. Currently, Green still holds the top spot in Green Bay history with 8,322 rushing yards for the franchise. Also, his 54 rushing touchdowns puts him at the No. 2 spot for most rushing touchdowns in franchise history.

Green is a 4-time Pro Bowl selection and made the First-Team All-Pro in 2003. He has been inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

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