Austin Ekeler and Najee Harris have both started all 17 games the last two years? Can we count on these guys to stay healthy? Or is running back simply an inherently dangerous position (with every player a substantial risk to have his season ruined)?

Some guys seem more durable than others, of course. Jim Brown and Walter Payton cranked out games year after year, while guys like D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny never seem to stay healthy. And other running backs seem to do a better job of avoiding high-impact collisions.

Harris hasn’t missed any games as a pro, but there have been some nicks. He missed most of a playoff game against KC as a rookie, and he left the Colts game last year.

With Ekeler (pictured) there’s the contract issue. He’s understandably miffed that he’s more important to the Chargers than either Keenan Allen or Mike Williams but making less than a third as much. But that’s a question for another post; here, I’m looking just a durability.

But let’s look at a few numbers. In the 32-team era, I see 48 running backs who played in every game two years in a row, finishing with top-15 overall numbers in each of those seasons. (Like Ekeler and Harris have just done.) Of those 48 games, 12 of them (and even 25 percent) missed a least a quarter of their next season. I see 2015 Matt Forte playing 13 games; I’m not sure how to label that season. And I see the remaining 35 (of 48) playing at least 14 games – I will call those guys relatively healthy.

Of the 48 players, just over half (25) played in the full 16 games).

In the chart below, at how those 48 players fared after two consecutive healthy, productive seasons. I put the black dot next to the names of the players who missed at least four games. There are five who missed at least half the season, and I gave them double dots.

PRODUCTION OF "DURABLE" RUNNING BACKS
YearPlayerAgeGRunRecYardsTDPPRRk
2002Curtis Martin, NYJ29161,0943621,4567238.617
2002Charlie Garner, Oak.30169629411,90311347.34
2002Ahman Green, G.B.25141,2403931,6339274.311
2003Ricky Williams, Mia.26161,3723511,72310282.39
2003Shaun Alexander, Sea.26161,4352951,73016311.07
2003LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.24161,6457252,37017444.12
2003Charlie Garner, Oak.31145533869394165.926
2004Shaun Alexander, Sea.27161,6961701,86620329.64
2004Tiki Barber, NYG29161,5185782,09615351.61
2004LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.25151,3354411,77618340.52
2004Fred Taylor, Jac.28141,2243451,5693210.919
2004• Jamal Lewis, Balt.25121,0061161,1227164.228
2005Tiki Barber, NYG30161,8605302,39011361.04
2005Shaun Alexander, Sea.28161,880781,95828378.81
2005• Ricky Williams, Mia.2812743938366136.628
2006Rudi Johnson, Cin.27161,3091241,43312238.311
2006Tiki Barber, NYG31161,6624652,1275300.76
2006Reuben Droughns, Cle.28147581699274143.734
2006• Shaun Alexander, Sea.2910896489447148.433
2007LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.28161,4744751,94918367.82
2007• Rudi Johnson, Cin.2811497110607499.749
2007•• Larry Johnson, K.C.2885591867454128.537
2008LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.29161,1104261,53612277.66
2009LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.301473015488412180.424
2009•• Clinton Portis, Was.28849457551276.158
2010Thomas Jones, K.C.32168961221,0186151.827
2010Matt Forte, Chi.25161,0695471,6169268.69
2010Adrian Peterson, Min.25151,2983411,63913277.95
2010Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.25141,3243171,6417240.113
2011Chris Johnson, Ten.26161,0474181,4654227.59
2011Ray Rice, Balt.24161,3647042,06815376.91
2011• Matt Forte, Chi.26129974901,4874224.711
2012Michael Turner, Atl.301680012892811177.822
2012Chris Johnson, Ten.27161,2432321,4756219.512
2012Ray Rice, Balt.25161,1434781,62110283.14
2013Chris Johnson, Ten.28161,0773451,42210244.29
2013Ray Rice, Balt.26156603219814182.122
2014Chris Johnson, NYJ29166631518142117.439
2014Marshawn Lynch, Sea.28161,3063671,67317306.34
2015Matt Forte, Chi.30138983891,2877216.78
2015• LeSean McCoy, Buff.27128952921,1875182.717
2015•• Marshawn Lynch, Sea.29741780497382.761
2016Lamar Miller, Hou.25141,0731881,2616193.119
2017Frank Gore, Ind.34169612451,2064173.620
2017•• David Johnson, Ariz.261236790015.0110
2018• Mark Ingram, N.O.29126451708157144.532
2019Christian McCaffrey, Car.23161,3871,0052,39219471.21
2020•• Christian McCaffrey, Car.243225149374690.454
2023Austin Ekeler, LAC28???????
2023Najee Harris, Pitt.25???????

When I first started looking at this, I considered backs who had played in all 16 games in back-to-back seasons and finished with top 20 numbers. I later trimmed it down to the 48 listed in the first chart. Below, for those who want to look through what ended up on the cutting room floor, are the 21 more backs who had two healthy seasons, with at least one of them of the 16th to 20th range (using PPR scoring).

There were also a few backs who simply didn’t come back and play at all (including Tiki Barber, who retired). I think there were 3-4 of those backs, and they’re not listed.

SECOND LEVEL "DURABLE" RUNNING BACKS
YearPlayerAgeGRunRecYardsTDPPRRk
2002Corey Dillon, Cin.28161,3112981,6097245.916
2002Eddie George, Ten.29161,1652551,42014262.014
2003Eddie George, Ten.30161,0311631,1945171.423
2003Curtis Martin, NYJ30161,3082621,5702211.018
2003Corey Dillon, Cin.291354171612284.246
2003• Garrison Hearst, S.F.32127682119794146.932
2004Curtis Martin, NYJ31161,6972451,94214319.25
2005• Curtis Martin, NYJ32127351188535139.327
2006Warrick Dunn, Atl.31161,1401701,3105183.025
2006Willis McGahee, Buff.25149901561,1466168.626
2008Marion Barber, Dall.25158854171,3029236.212
2008Edgerrin James, Ariz.301351485599391.956
2011Rashard Mendenhall, Pitt.24159281541,0829180.222
2013Frank Gore, S.F.30161,1281411,2699196.918
2013• Shonn Greene, Ten.281129539334463.460
2014Frank Gore, S.F.31161,1061111,2175162.721
2014Alfred Morris, Was.26161,0741551,2298187.917
2015Alfred Morris, Was.271675155806196.653
2016Jeremy Hill, Cin.24158391741,0139176.322
2018Frank Gore, Mia.35147221248461102.647
2020• Nick Chubb, Cle.25121,0671501,21712209.711

—Ian Allan