5 Best Running Backs in Cincinnati Bengals History

The running back vs. fullback debate is partly why we always mention context in lists like these.

Younger fans might not realize that teams often treated their “fullback” as the second part of a two-headed rushing attack, and some even trusted those players to be a bell cow when needed, as we previously discussed with Buccaneers legend Mike Alstott.

A 1977 second-round pick from Ohio State, Johnson rushed for 5,421 yards and 64 touchdowns over his seven seasons with the Bengals.

Not only did his 1,077-yard, 12-touchdown season in 1981 earn him Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, but it also helped Cincinnati reach its first Super Bowl. 

4. Rudi Johnson (2001-2007)

Johnson played sparingly in his first two seasons, but broke out for 957 yards and nine touchdowns in 2003. Between his emergence and Dillon’s frustration with Bengals’ ownership, you have three guesses on what happened next, and the first two don’t count. 

Upon Dillon’s departure for New England, Johnson moved into the starting lineup and promptly rushed for 4,221 yards and 36 touchdowns over the next three seasons.

However, injuries and his own issues with management forced Johnson’s release ahead of the 2008 season. He tragically passed away at 45 years old in September 2025.

3. James Brooks (1984-1991)

There’s an argument to put Brooks at No. 2 ahead of Mixon, but we’re keeping things as they are.

Initially a first-round pick of the Chargers, Brooks actually joined the Bengals in exchange for another member of our list. Yep! Cincinnati sent an aging Pete Johnson to San Diego in exchange for a 25-year-old backup running back. 

There likely aren’t many in Ohio who think the Bengals got that one wrong. Brooks retired as the team’s all-time leading rusher, and his 4.8 yards per attempt still leads all qualified players; Dillon finished at 4.3, though he also had 500 more carries. 

Brooks earned four Pro Bowl nods and was later named to the Bengals’ 40th Anniversary Team. He’ll officially be inducted into the Ring of Honor on Nov. 1, 2026, alongside the late Bob Trumpy.

2. Joe Mixon (2017-2023)

For someone capable of making plays as a rusher or receiver, Mixon did things relatively quietly.

It’s rare that someone who rattles off four 1,000-yard seasons in a seven-year span does so quietly, especially when the team in question has a superstar quarterback and receiver like the Bengals did with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase for part of that stretch.

Mixon was that safe, above-average running back who you’d snag in your fantasy draft after everyone else focused more on reputation or projected points.

He was pivotal in the Bengals’ 2021 Super Bowl run, and his 62 total touchdowns trail only Pete Johnson on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard. This was a no-brainer.

1. Corey Dillon (1997-2003)

How good was Corey Dillon, you ask? Over his first six seasons, he never rushed for less than 1,129 yards, and he exceeded 4.2 yards per carry in all but one of those years.

The exception? How about a 1,315-yard, 10-touchdown campaign in 2001, when he averaged 3.9 yards per carry on 340 carries.

Unfortunately for Dillon, he played in a Golden Age of running backs, so his numbers don’t necessarily stand out when compared to Marshall Faulk, Jerome Bettis, or Curtis Martin, among others. But for the sake of this list, he easily warranted the top spot. 

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