John Riggins ranks in the all-time elite tier for running backs — a career that places Riggins in the top 10% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Riggins a career score of 71, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
Career games unavailable for incomplete season coverage. Verified career totals remain shown; career per-game figures require complete coverage.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | |||||
| 1971 | 22 | NYJ | 14 | — | 180 | 769 | 1 | 4.3 | 0.6 | — | — | — | — | 36 | 231 | 2 | — | 6.4 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | 23 | NYJ | 12 | — | 207 | 944 | 7 | 4.6 | 3.4 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 230 | 1 | — | 11.0 | — | — | — |
| 1973 | 24 | NYJ | 11 | — | 134 | 482 | 4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 158 | 0 | — | 6.9 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | 25 | NYJ | 10 | — | 169 | 680 | 5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 180 | 2 | — | 9.5 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | 26 | NYJ | 14 | — | 238 | 1,005 | 8 | 4.2 | 3.4 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 363 | 1 | — | 12.1 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 27 | WAS | 14 | — | 162 | 572 | 3 | 3.5 | 1.9 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 172 | 1 | — | 8.2 | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 28 | WAS | 5 | — | 68 | 203 | 0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 95 | 2 | — | 13.6 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 29 | WAS | 15 | — | 248 | 1,014 | 5 | 4.1 | 2.0 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 299 | 0 | — | 9.6 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 30 | WAS | 16 | — | 260 | 1,153 | 9 | 4.4 | 3.5 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 163 | 3 | — | 5.8 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 32 | WAS | 15 | — | 195 | 714 | 13 | 3.7 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 59 | 0 | — | 9.8 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 33 | WAS | 8 | — | 177 | 553 | 3 | 3.1 | 1.7 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 50 | 0 | — | 5.0 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 34 | WAS | 15 | — | 375 | 1,347 | 24 | 3.6 | 6.4 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 29 | 0 | — | 5.8 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 35 | WAS | 14 | — | 327 | 1,239 | 14 | 3.8 | 4.3 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 43 | 0 | — | 6.1 | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 36 | WAS | 12 | — | 176 | 677 | 8 | 3.8 | 4.5 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 18 | 0 | — | 3.0 | — | — | — |
| Career | — | — | — | 2,916 | 11,352 | 104 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 250 | 2,090 | 12 | — | 8.4 | — | — | 0 | |
Career Value · VORP
204 career value over replacement — #366 all-time of 4,695. 14.6/season above a replacement-level RB.
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14 seasons · peak 14.4 in 1972
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.
5.6 career wins over 14 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1972 · +1.1 wins
Latest season · 1985 · +0.1 wins
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
#110 of 1,228 all-time RBs by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 22 | NYJ | 14 | — | 180 | 769 | 1 | 4.3 | 0.6 | — | — | — | 12.2 |
| 1972 | 23 | NYJ | 12 | — | 207 | 944 | 7 | 4.6 | 3.4 | — | — | — | 14.4 |
| 1973 | 24 | NYJ | 11 | — | 134 | 482 | 4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | — | — | — | 3.1 |
| 1974 | 25 | NYJ | 10 | — | 169 | 680 | 5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | — | — | — | 5.4 |
| 1975 | 26 | NYJ | 14 | — | 238 | 1,005 | 8 | 4.2 | 3.4 | — | — | — | 9.4 |
| 1976 | 27 | WAS | 14 | — | 162 | 572 | 3 | 3.5 | 1.9 | — | — | — | 2.2 |
| 1977 | 28 | WAS | 5 | — | 68 | 203 | 0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | — | — | — | 0.2 |
| 1978 | 29 | WAS | 15 | — | 248 | 1,014 | 5 | 4.1 | 2.0 | — | — | — | 7.4 |
| 1979 | 30 | WAS | 16 | — | 260 | 1,153 | 9 | 4.4 | 3.5 | — | — | — | 7.2 |
| 1981 | 32 | WAS | 15 | — | 195 | 714 | 13 | 3.7 | 6.7 | — | — | — | 3.7 |
| 1982 | 33 | WAS | 8 | — | 177 | 553 | 3 | 3.1 | 1.7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 1983 | 34 | WAS | 15 | — | 375 | 1,347 | 24 | 3.6 | 6.4 | — | — | — | 4.5 |
| 1984 | 35 | WAS | 14 | — | 327 | 1,239 | 14 | 3.8 | 4.3 | — | — | — | 2.9 |
| 1985 | 36 | WAS | 12 | — | 176 | 677 | 8 | 3.8 | 4.5 | — | — | — | 1.4 |
| Career | — | 2,916 | 11,352 | 104 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 74 |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 22 | NYJ | 14 | — | — | 36 | 231 | 2 | — | 6.4 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | 23 | NYJ | 12 | — | — | 21 | 230 | 1 | — | 11.0 | — | — | — |
| 1973 | 24 | NYJ | 11 | — | — | 23 | 158 | 0 | — | 6.9 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | 25 | NYJ | 10 | — | — | 19 | 180 | 2 | — | 9.5 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | 26 | NYJ | 14 | — | — | 30 | 363 | 1 | — | 12.1 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 27 | WAS | 14 | — | — | 21 | 172 | 1 | — | 8.2 | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 28 | WAS | 5 | — | — | 7 | 95 | 2 | — | 13.6 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 29 | WAS | 15 | — | — | 31 | 299 | 0 | — | 9.6 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 30 | WAS | 16 | — | — | 28 | 163 | 3 | — | 5.8 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 32 | WAS | 15 | — | — | 6 | 59 | 0 | — | 9.8 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 33 | WAS | 8 | — | — | 10 | 50 | 0 | — | 5.0 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 34 | WAS | 15 | — | — | 5 | 29 | 0 | — | 5.8 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 35 | WAS | 14 | — | — | 7 | 43 | 0 | — | 6.1 | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 36 | WAS | 12 | — | — | 6 | 18 | 0 | — | 3.0 | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 0 | 250 | 2,090 | 12 | — | 8.4 | — | — | 0 |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
A great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 71 of 100, era-normalized against rush yds/g peers across 14 scored seasons.
Blend 70.8 × longevity 1 = KV-H 71· confidence 97%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rush yds/g)
Kevan Barlow
RB
89% match