Earnest Jackson ranks in the all-time elite tier for running backs — a career that places Jackson in the top 10% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Jackson a career score of 75, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.

On the boards· Appears on 2 boards

RBPIT#0ACT

Earnest Jackson

2× Pro BowlTop 6% all-time RBsIron Man🌅 Early Bloomer · 1984

Height5'9"

Weight213 lb

Born

Career Value · VORP

127 career value over replacement — #823 all-time of 4,695. 21.2/season above a replacement-level RB.

Draft OutcomeSteal ↑

Pick #202 (Rd 8) · SDG · 1983 · +54 vs expected KV-H

75actual

21 expected · Δ+54

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Compare Earnest Jackson vs Player Report data error

Combined Season Grid

Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.

2 categories · One row per season · Scroll for all statistics

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Rushing								Receiving
Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Att	Yds	TD	Y/A	TD%	1D	1D%	Fmb	Tgt	Rec	Yds	TD	Ctch%	Y/R	Y/Tgt	AirYd/T	1D
1983	23–24	SD	12	—	11	39	0	3.5	0.0	—	—	—	—	5	42	0	—	8.4	—	—	—
1984	24–25	SD	16	—	296	1,179	8	4.0	2.7	—	—	—	—	39	222	1	—	5.7	—	—	—
1985	25–26	PHI	16	—	282	1,028	5	3.6	1.8	—	—	—	—	10	126	1	—	12.6	—	—	—
1986	26–27	PIT	13	—	216	910	5	4.2	2.3	—	—	—	—	17	169	0	—	9.9	—	—	—
1987	27–28	PIT	12	—	180	696	1	3.9	0.6	—	—	—	—	7	52	0	—	7.4	—	—	—
1988	28–29	PIT	12	—	74	315	3	4.3	4.1	—	—	—	—	9	84	0	—	9.3	—	—	—
Career		—	81	—	1,059	4,167	22	3.9	2.1	—	—	—	—	87	695	2	—	8.0	—	—	—

Career arc · VAL by season

6 seasons · peak 4.9 in 1984

VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.

What he added · wins above replacement

0.7 career wins over 6 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL

Best season · 1984 · +0.4 wins

Estimated from the season line (early era)+0.4

Latest season · 1988 ·

Rushing

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Att	Yds	TD	Y/A	TD%	1D	1D%	Fmb	VAL
1983	23–24	SD	12	—	11	39	0	3.5	0.0	—	—	—	0
1984	24–25	SD	16	—	296	1,179	8	4.0	2.7	—	—	—	4.9
1985	25–26	PHI	16	—	282	1,028	5	3.6	1.8	—	—	—	0
1986	26–27	PIT	13	—	216	910	5	4.2	2.3	—	—	—	2.9
1987	27–28	PIT	12	—	180	696	1	3.9	0.6	—	—	—	0
1988	28–29	PIT	12	—	74	315	3	4.3	4.1	—	—	—	1.5
Career			81		1,059	4,167	22	3.9	2.1	—	—	—	9.3

Receiving

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	TD	Ctch%	Y/R	Y/Tgt	AirYd/T	1D
1983	23–24	SD	12	—	—	5	42	0	—	8.4	—	—	—
1984	24–25	SD	16	—	—	39	222	1	—	5.7	—	—	—
1985	25–26	PHI	16	—	—	10	126	1	—	12.6	—	—	—
1986	26–27	PIT	13	—	—	17	169	0	—	9.9	—	—	—
1987	27–28	PIT	12	—	—	7	52	0	—	7.4	—	—	—
1988	28–29	PIT	12	—	—	9	84	0	—	9.3	—	—	—
Career			81		—	87	695	2	—	8.0	—	—	—

KV-H Anatomy

KV-H 75 · Great

A great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 75 of 100, era-normalized against rush yds/g peers across 6 scored seasons.

Sustained

career value

×.6

Peak

best 3 seasons

×.4

×1

Longevity

career length

Blend 75.6 × longevity 1 = KV-H 75· confidence 100%

What builds the career mark of 72

On-field 54.6

Availability 17.4

On-field production