The Buffalo Bills enter the 2018 NFL offseason facing a big question at the running back position. The team’s top two rushers are about to enter their age-31 season, which is the time where running backs typically begin to show extreme signs of decline. When those same rushers struggled during their age-30 season, it leads to many wondering aloud about whether or not that decline has already begun.
Is there historical precedent to watching a 31-year old running back have a great season? In fact, there is. While the majority of age-31 seasons for running backs range from bad to mediocre, there are exactly eleven instances where a running back topped the 1,000-yard mark at that age.