5 Best Running Backs in Arizona Cardinals History

The Cardinals franchise hasn't had many bona fide superstars at the running back position.

by Zach Kaplan

Sep 25, 2026

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is tackled by the San Francisco 49ers.

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

From Chicago to St. Louis and Arizona, the Cardinals franchise is one of the oldest in NFL history.

While the playoff results have been rather few and far between as of late, they do boast a solid collection of all-time quarterbacks and wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald being chief among them.

With the Cardinals selecting Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, it’s worth turning back the clock and looking at the five best running backs in Cardinals history.

5. John David Crow (1958-1964)

If you look at the Cardinals’ all-time rushing leaderboard, #5 and #8 all-time are separated by a mere 170 yards. Johnny Roland, Charley Trippi and Terry Metcalf are all strong picks for this #5 spot, but David Crow, icon of the St. Louis Cardinals and owner of one of the most prolific seasons of his era, belongs here.

David Crow endured the move from Chicago to St. Louis, and upon arriving in Missouri, produced a Pro Bowl season that earned him an All-Pro runner-up after rushing for 1,071 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games, averaging an elite 5.9 yards per carry, while also recording 462 receiving yards.

David Crow’s numbers stick out among the aforementioned Cardinals players as he recorded 50.6 yards per game. While Metcalf averaged 52.9 yards per game, high turnover numbers lead to David Crow taking over at #5.

4. Jim Otis (1973-1978)

Otis faced stiff competition for touches at both the start and end of his Cardinals tenure, with Donny Anderson in 1973 and Metcalf in 1977 and 1978 taking away from his grasp on the starting role.

Still, Otis had three strong seasons in the mid-1970s for St. Louis, including a Pro Bowl campaign in 1975 where he rushed for 1,076 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 77 yards per game.

Over a six-year stint in St. Louis, Otis racked up 3,863 rushing yards, good for third in Cardinals history.

3. James Conner (2021-2025)

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is tackled by the San Francisco 49ers.

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Conner is the perfect modern example of efficiency, even despite injuries keeping him off the field for parts of his first three seasons in Arizona after joining the team via free agency from Pittsburgh in 2021.

When Conner was on the field, he was an absolute bruiser that racked up yards for the Cardinals and found the end zone often. His first season was arguably his best, as he found the end zone 15 times, good for once per game, despite only starting six games for Arizona.

In 2023 and 2024, Conner hit another level, rushing for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, hauling in 414 receiving yards in 2024. While Conner is a great example of “what could’ve been” with injuries, he’s still an all-time great Cardinals running back.

2. Stump Mitchell (1981-1989)

Lyvonia Albert “Stump” Mitchell, given the nickname because of his short stature and competitive spirit, became an enduring NFLer despite being taken in the ninth round of the 1981 NFL Draft.

Mitchell played an advanced, dual-threat style of running back, amassing 4,649 rushing yards and 1,955 receiving yards over eight seasons and change in the NFL. He played for both the St. Louis and Phoenix Cardinals, and had a great run of play from 1985 to 1988 where he surpassed 700 rushing yards in four straight seasons, including his 1,006 yard season in 1985.

While not related to rushing, Mitchell was also a star on special teams, finishing his career with 11,985 all purpose yards, which was the most in Cardinals history until Larry Fitzgerald broke his record.

1. Ottis Anderson (1979-1986)

St. Louis Cardinals running back Ottis Anderson carries the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Fulton County Stadium.

Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

Before he experienced a late-career surge with the Giants and won Super Bowl XXI and XXV, Anderson was a star for the St. Louis Cardinals, being drafted eighth overall in the 1979 NFL draft and delivering on his immense hype out of Miami.

Anderson rushed for 1,100 yards or more in five of his first six seasons in St. Louis, including a massive 1,605 yard rookie campaign in 1979 that landed him an All-Pro and the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He made the Pro Bowl in 1979 and 1980, and started all 48 possible games in his first three professional seasons.

Injuries hampered Anderson in 1982, but he returned to consistent form in 1983 and 1984, starting 15 games in each and rushing for more than 1,100 yards in each.

While the emergence of Stump Mitchell paved the way for Anderson’s trade to the Giants, the monster start to his career and his franchise record 7,999 rushing yards all-time makes an easy argument for Anderson to be No. 1 on this list.