athlore
HomeDiscoverLibrarySign inCreate account
↗
⌂Home◎Discover⌕Library
CHIPAYTON0

Walter Payton

Retired

Chicago Bears · RB

Walter Payton recorded 190 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 13 rostered seasons with Chicago Bears.

▶Best highlights

88.0

rush yds/gm

23.9

rec yds/gm

9

playoff games

190

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A researched consensus introduction to Walter Payton's defining games.

Editorial methodology and sources

Cross-checked Payton's Hall of Fame biography, league records, Chicago championship history, and verified archive statistics. The selections balance his single-game rushing record and career record with the 1985 title and two performances that show why his receiving and passing made him football's complete back.

  1. #1. Playing through the flu, Payton carried 40 times for an NFL-record 275 yards and the game's only touchdown in a 10–7 Chicago victory. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Walter Payton
  2. #2. Payton drew the defense's attention throughout Super Bowl XX and finally completed his journey from rebuilding cornerstone to champion with the 1985 Bears. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Walter Payton
  3. #3. Payton passed Jim Brown to become the NFL's career rushing leader, turning a Chicago home game into the central counting-stat milestone of his career. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Walter Payton
  4. #4. Four days after his rushing record, Payton produced 244 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on Thanksgiving, including 107 yards as a receiver. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Walter Payton
  5. #5. Payton ran for 161 yards and a touchdown while throwing two touchdown passes, the clearest single-game proof of his all-purpose football intelligence. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Walter Payton

Reviewed through 2026-08-11

Regular Season
1977
MINNESOTAVIKINGS
CHICAGOBEARS
NOV 20, 1977

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears

Regular Season · Nov 20, 1977

275 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 1 rec

Super Bowl
XX
CHICAGOBEARS
NEW ENGLANDPATRIOTS
JAN 26, 1986

Chicago Bears vs New England Patriots

Super Bowl XX · Jan 26, 1986

61 rush yds · 0 rush TD · 0 rec

Regular Season
1984
NEW ORLEANSSAINTS
CHICAGOBEARS
OCT 7, 1984

New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears

Regular Season · Oct 7, 1984

154 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 2 rec

Regular Season
1977
CHICAGOBEARS
DETROITLIONS
NOV 24, 1977

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Nov 24, 1977

137 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 4 rec

Regular Season
1983
CHICAGOBEARS
NEW ORLEANSSAINTS
SEP 18, 1983

Chicago Bears vs New Orleans Saints

Regular Season · Sep 18, 1983

161 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 2 rec

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from Walter Payton's indexed NFL box scores.

Career high: 275 rushing yards

Regular Season
1977
MINNESOTAVIKINGS
CHICAGOBEARS
NOV 20, 1977

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears

Regular Season · Nov 20, 1977

275 rush yds · 1 rush TD · 1 rec

Career high: 3 rushing touchdowns

Regular Season
1980
GREEN BAYPACKERS
CHICAGOBEARS
DEC 7, 1980

Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

Regular Season · Dec 7, 1980

130 rush yds · 3 rush TD · 1 rec

Career high: 119 receiving yards

Regular Season
1978
DETROITLIONS
CHICAGOBEARS
OCT 29, 1978

Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears

Regular Season · Oct 29, 1978

89 rush yds · 0 rush TD · 7 rec

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped Walter Payton's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

1958–1981

01
CHIPAYTON34Walter Payton
CHIBUTKUS51Dick Butkus
CHISAYERS40Gale Sayers

Transcendent individuals carry uneven teams

Chicago Bears · Butkus, Sayers and Payton

Butkus and Sayers defined their positions before Payton became the franchise's relentless offensive center through years of rebuilding.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

1982–1992

02
CHIPAYTON34Walter Payton
CHISINGLETARY50Mike Singletary
CHIDENT95Richard Dent

Defense, personality and one overwhelming champion

Chicago Bears · The 1985 Bears

Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan assembled a defense of historic speed and intimidation that dominated the 1985 postseason and remained dangerous for years.

Read the era story →

Career accomplishments

Super Bowl champion · 1985NFL rushing touchdowns leader · 1977NFL rushing yards leader · 197713 NFL seasons190 career games331 career passing yards8 career passing touchdowns16,726 career rushing yards110 career rushing touchdowns492 career receptions4,538 career receiving yards15 career receiving touchdowns9 playoff appearances1 Super Bowl appearanceFirst appearance: Sep 21, 1975Most recent: Jan 10, 1988

Official awards via ESPN · Pro Bowl and All-Pro counts via NFLverse with selection years cross-checked against Wikipedia · league leads verified from indexed regular-season stats

Team history