Ravens lose two rushing records to 1948 49ers after NFL incorporates AAFC stats

Two NFL single-season rushing records, both owned by the Baltimore Ravens, have just been broken — by a team whose players are all deceased.

The 1948 49ers are now the NFL’s official record holders for most rushing yards in a season and highest yards per carry in a season. That 49ers team gained 3,663 rushing yards on 603 attempts, an average of 6.1 yards per carry. The 49ers played in the All-America Football Conference before joining the NFL in 1950, and the NFL has just decided to count AAFC stats into the league’s official records.

That means the Ravens have lost both of those records. The record for most rushing yards in a season previously belonged to the 2019 Ravens, who ran for 3,296 yards. And the record for highest yards per carry in a season was set just last season by the Ravens, who averaged 5.8 yards per carry.

Now those records belong to a 49ers team that featured an impressive rookie running back named Joe “The Jet” Perry, who would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, as well as Johnny “Strike” Strzykalski, who gained 915 yards that season and led the AAFC with 6.5 yards per carry.

Starting with this year’s NFL Record & Fact Book, those 49ers are now the official NFL record holders.

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