Walter Payton is a Hall of Fame running back whose career earned one of the highest career value scores of 92 in the Knox value model. Payton's enshrinement reflects a career that consistently placed him among the elite of his generation.
W
Walter Payton
All-Time Rank & Honors
career ranks, postseason ranks, awards, title contextRegular-season all-time ranks
Postseason all-time ranks
Yes
Hall of Fame
Season honors and record seasons
An all-time caliber running back (top 1% all-time) who combined elite production with exceptional availability — almost never missed time. Iron Legends define eras — they show up, every game, for years on end.
Career Value · VORP
VORP 370 · #59 · All-TimeWorth 370 points of value above a freely-available replacement running back — top 2% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 13 of 13 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +28.5 on average.See board →
Seasons above replacement
13 cleared
Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it — adds 0, never a debit
50
Replacement
the KC-H bar
→
13
Seasons over
cleared the bar
×
+28.5
Avg surplus
peak +47
13 seasons × ~28.5 surplus ≈ VORP 370
Combined Season Grid
The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at once—no tab hopping.
3 grids split in one view
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Rushing | Receiving | Passing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk | |||||
| 1975 | — | CHI | 13 | — | 196 | 679 | 7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 213 | 0 | — | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976 | — | CHI | 14 | — | 311 | 1,390 | 13 | 4.5 | 4.2 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 149 | 0 | — | 9.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977 | — | CHI | 14 | — | 339 | 1,852 | 14 | 5.5 | 4.1 | — | — | — | — | 27 | 269 | 2 | — | 10.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 333 | 1,395 | 11 | 4.2 | 3.3 | — | — | — | — | 50 | 480 | 0 | — | 9.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 369 | 1,610 | 14 | 4.4 | 3.8 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 313 | 2 | — | 10.1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 317 | 1,460 | 6 | 4.6 | 1.9 | — | — | — | — | 46 | 367 | 1 | — | 8.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 339 | 1,222 | 6 | 3.6 | 1.8 | — | — | — | — | 41 | 379 | 2 | — | 9.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982 | — | CHI | 9 | — | 148 | 596 | 1 | 4.0 | 0.7 | — | — | — | — | 32 | 311 | 0 | — | 9.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 314 | 1,421 | 6 | 4.5 | 1.9 | — | — | — | — | 53 | 607 | 2 | — | 11.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 95 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 381 | 1,684 | 11 | 4.4 | 2.9 | — | — | — | — | 45 | 368 | 0 | — | 8.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 324 | 1,551 | 9 | 4.8 | 2.8 | — | — | — | — | 49 | 483 | 2 | — | 9.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 96 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986 | — | CHI | 16 | — | 321 | 1,333 | 8 | 4.2 | 2.5 | — | — | — | — | 37 | 382 | 3 | — | 10.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987 | — | CHI | 12 | — | 146 | 533 | 4 | 3.7 | 2.7 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 217 | 1 | — | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | — | 190 | — | 3,838 | 16,726 | 110 | 4.4 | 2.9 | — | — | — | 0 | 492 | 4,538 | 15 | — | 9.2 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 331 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
Passing
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | TD% | Int% | Y/A | AdjY/A | TD:INT | Rate | Sk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22 | CHI | 13 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 23 | CHI | 14 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 24 | CHI | 14 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 25 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 26 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 54 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 27 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 28 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 29 | CHI | 9 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 30 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 95 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 31 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 47 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 32 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 96 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986 | 33 | CHI | 16 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 34 | CHI | 12 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Career | 190 | 0 | 0 | — | 331 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
Rushing
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22 | CHI | 13 | — | 196 | 679 | 7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 23 | CHI | 14 | — | 311 | 1,390 | 13 | 4.5 | 4.2 | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 24 | CHI | 14 | — | 339 | 1,852 | 14 | 5.5 | 4.1 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 25 | CHI | 16 | — | 333 | 1,395 | 11 | 4.2 | 3.3 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 26 | CHI | 16 | — | 369 | 1,610 | 14 | 4.4 | 3.8 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 27 | CHI | 16 | — | 317 | 1,460 | 6 | 4.6 | 1.9 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 28 | CHI | 16 | — | 339 | 1,222 | 6 | 3.6 | 1.8 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 29 | CHI | 9 | — | 148 | 596 | 1 | 4.0 | 0.7 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 30 | CHI | 16 | — | 314 | 1,421 | 6 | 4.5 | 1.9 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 31 | CHI | 16 | — | 381 | 1,684 | 11 | 4.4 | 2.9 | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 32 | CHI | 16 | — | 324 | 1,551 | 9 | 4.8 | 2.8 | — | — | — |
| 1986 | 33 | CHI | 16 | — | 321 | 1,333 | 8 | 4.2 | 2.5 | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 34 | CHI | 12 | — | 146 | 533 | 4 | 3.7 | 2.7 | — | — | — |
| Career | 190 | 3,838 | 16,726 | 110 | 4.4 | — | — | — | — |
Receiving
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD | Ctch% | Y/R | Y/Tgt | AirYd/T | 1D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 22 | CHI | 13 | — | — | 33 | 213 | 0 | — | 6.5 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | 23 | CHI | 14 | — | — | 15 | 149 | 0 | — | 9.9 | — | — | — |
| 1977 | 24 | CHI | 14 | — | — | 27 | 269 | 2 | — | 10.0 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 25 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 50 | 480 | 0 | — | 9.6 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 26 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 31 | 313 | 2 | — | 10.1 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 27 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 46 | 367 | 1 | — | 8.0 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 28 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 41 | 379 | 2 | — | 9.2 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | 29 | CHI | 9 | — | — | 32 | 311 | 0 | — | 9.7 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 30 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 53 | 607 | 2 | — | 11.5 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 31 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 45 | 368 | 0 | — | 8.2 | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 32 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 49 | 483 | 2 | — | 9.9 | — | — | — |
| 1986 | 33 | CHI | 16 | — | — | 37 | 382 | 3 | — | 10.3 | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 34 | CHI | 12 | — | — | 33 | 217 | 1 | — | 6.6 | — | — | — |
| Career | 190 | 0 | 492 | 4,538 | 15 | — | 9.2 | — | — | — |
KV-H Anatomy
KV-H 92 · All-Time GreatA all-time great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 92 of 100, era-normalized against rush yds/g peers across 13 scored seasons.
79
Sustained
career value
×.6
95
Peak
best 3 seasons
×.4
×1
Longevity
career length
Blend 85.4 × longevity 1 = KV-H 92· confidence 100%
What builds the career mark of 79
On-field 59.4
Availability 19.6
On-field production Staying available
Season-by-season quality (era-relative rush yds/g)
1975bestavg 78elite 701987
All-Time Standing
how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position92
Elite
of 100
Reached 91% of the all-time Rushing Yards leader — a elite all-time profile at the position.
91% of the all-time Rushing Yards leader91
3 categories ≥25% of the all-time leader100
A 0–100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data — career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence — so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite ≥ 85 · Strong ≥ 65 · Solid ≥ 45 · Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 96%.
Career Aging Trajectory
vs. position group average · KV-H basisAmber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average RBs aging curve. Group peak age: 21. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).
Playoff vs Regular Season
📉 Regular Season Player
Yards / Carry: 4.4 regular season → 3.5 playoffs (6 playoff seasons)
-19%
vs reg season
From Scrimmage · Career
Scrimmage Yds
21,264
16,726 rush · 4,538 recv
Total TDs
125
110 rush · 15 recv
Total Touches
4,330
3,838 carries · 492 rec
Yds / Touch
4.9
rushing + receiving
Postseason Career
Passing
Yds19TD1
Rushing
Att180Yds632TD2Y/A3.5TD%1.1
Receiving
Rec22Yds178Y/R8.1
College Rushing
| Season | School | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | TD% | 1D | 1D% | Fmb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Jackson State | 94 | 652 | 5 | 6.9 | 5.3 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | Jackson State | 124 | 781 | 15 | 6.3 | 12.1 | — | — | — |
| 1973 | Jackson State | 205 | 1,139 | 24 | 5.6 | 11.7 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | Jackson State | 175 | 1,029 | 19 | 5.9 | 10.9 | — | — | — |
| Career | 598 | 3,601 | 63 | 6.0 | 10.5 | — | — | — |
Reference Graph
Career teammates and draft class, derived from year-by-year rosters — every name is linked.
Top Teammates
Matt SuheyRB8yDennis GentryRB6yJim McMahonQB6yWillie GaultWR5yRichard DentDE5yWilber MarshallOLB4yKen MargerumWR4yWilliam PerryDT3yMike TomczakQB3yThomas SandersRB3yMaury BufordP2yNeal AndersonRB2yAnthony HutchisonRB2yTim WrightmanTE2yBrad AndersonWR2yPat DunsmoreTE2yJim HarbaughQB1yTommy BarnhardtP1yDoug FlutieQB1yGlen KozlowskiWR1yRon MorrisWR1yCap BosoTE1yRay StachowiczP1yBob FisherTE1y
Similar Players
Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0–100%).
Movementderived from season history
- 1987final season
Last recorded season with CHI
- 1975signing
Entered the NFL with CHI
Knox
StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works →
Historical Knox · KV-H
Era-normalized career quality — z-scored against 13-season peers. See all →
92
peak 95
Season Report Cards· KV-H era-normalized per season
C+1975
B+1976
B+1977
B+1978
B+1979
A1980
B+1981
B+1982
A1983
A+1984
A+1985
A1986
B1987
Era Translator
Rush Yds translated to the 2025NFL — each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.
| Season | Actual Rush Yds | Rush Yds/G | → 2025 Rush Yds | → 2025 /G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 679 | 52.2 | 172-507 | 10.1 |
| 1976 | 1,390 | 99.3 | 1,062-328 | 62.5 |
| 1977 | 1,852 | 132.3 | 1,371-481 | 80.6 |
| 1978 | 1,395 | 87.2 | 961-434 | 56.6 |
| 1979 | 1,610 | 100.6 | 1,275-335 | 75 |
| 1980 | 1,460 | 91.3 | 1,466+6 | 86.2 |
| 1981 | 1,222 | 76.4 | 1,335+113 | 78.5 |
| 1982 | 596 | 66.2 | 1,295+699 | 76.2 |
| 1983 | 1,421 | 88.8 | 1,687+266 | 99.2 |
| 1984 | 1,684 | 105.3 | 2,143+459 | 126 |
| 1985 | 1,551 | 96.9 | 2,012+461 | 118.4 |
| 1986 | 1,333 | 83.3 | 1,823+490 | 107.2 |
| 1987 | 533 | 44.4 | 1,096+563 | 64.5 |
Data: wikipedia:season-stats (CC-BY-SA, facts-only), wikipedia:pfhof-inductee-list · multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle · updated 7/10/2026
Career Value · VORP
370 career value over replacement — #59 all-time of 4,642. 28.5/season above a replacement-level RB.
Fan Rating
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