Who has led the Detroit Lions in rushing each season since 2000?

The Detroit Lions had not had a 1,000-yard rusher in a season since 2013 (Reggie Bush) when Jamaal Williams did it last year (1,066 yards, with a single-season franchise record 17 touchdowns).

As Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire pointed out, with David Montgomery or Jahmyr Gibbs lined up to do so, the Lions are set to have a different leading rusher for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons in 2023. That speaks to a few things. Their general ineptitude running the ball since Barry Sanders retired is a big one. The volatility of the running back position as a whole and some bad injury luck are mixed in too.

So that may get some people thinking, with names who surely come to mind, who has led the Lions in rushing in a season this century?

Thankfully, that's easy accessible information.

Who has led the Detroit Lions in rushing in a season this century?

So let's get right to it to see who has led the Lions in rushing in a season since 2000.

2000: James Stewart (1,184 yards)
2001: Stewart (685 yards)
2002: Stewart (1,021 yards)
2003: Shawn Bryson (606 yards)
2004: Kevin Jones (1,133 yards)
2005: Jones (664 yards)
2006: Jones (689 yards)
2007: Jones (581 yards)
2008: Kevin Smith (976 yards)
2009: Smith (747 yards)
2010: Jahvid Best (555 yards)
2011: Best (390 yards)
2012: Mikel Leshoure (798 yards)
2013: Reggie Bush (1,006 yards)
2014: Joique Bell (860 yards)
2015: Ameer Abdullah (597 yards)
2016: Theo Riddick (357 yards)
2017: Abdullah (552 yards)
2018: Kerryon Johnson (641 yards)
2019: Johnson (403 yards)
2020: Adrian Peterson (604 yards)
2021: D'Andre Swift (617 yards)
2022: Jamaal Wiliams (1,066 yards)

Stewart and Jones had a total of three 1,000-yard seasons for the Lions in the first five seasons of this century. Since then, in 18 seasons, the Lions have had a 1,000-yard rusher twice (with one near-miss).

Overall, it's an interesting group to look back on. A back-to-back leading rusher has been elusive for the Lions lately, and two guys have lead the team in rushing more than once since Jahvid Best went back-to-back in 2010 and 2011.