List of NFL annual rushing touchdowns leaders

In American football, rushing and passing are the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field.^[2] A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back,^[3] but other players, such as the quarterback, can run with the ball.^[2] A rushing touchdown is a play where the runner carries the ball into the end zone without a forward pass being involved.^[4][5]

LaDainian Tomlinson holds the single-season rushing touchdowns record, running for 28 touchdowns in 2006.^[1]

The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season.^[6][7] In addition to the NFL rushing touchdowns leaders, league record books recognize the rushing touchdowns leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970.^[8]

The record for rushing touchdowns in a season is held by LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers who rushed for 28 touchdowns in 2006.^[1] Prior to Tomlinson's 2006 season, the record was jointly held by Priest Holmes and Shaun Alexander, each rushing for 27 touchdowns in 2003 and 2005, respectively.^[1][9] There have been eleven instances where a player has rushed for 20 or more touchdowns in a season and only two players, Emmitt Smith and Priest Holmes, have done so twice.^[1] Jim Brown led the league in rushing touchdowns five times, the most of any player in league history.^[10]

NFL annual rushing touchdowns leaders

In 1965, Jim Brown led the league in rushing touchdowns for a fifth time, an NFL record.^[10]

Emmitt Smith led the league three times and set the single-season record in 1995.^[11] He is also the all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns.^[12]

John Riggins led the league in 1983 with the first 20+ rushing touchdown season.^[13]

Derrick Henry led the league in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020.^[14] He then did so again in 2024.^[7]

Key

Symbol	Meaning
Leader	The player who recorded the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL
TDs	The total number of rushing touchdowns the player had
GP	The number of games played by a player during the season[A]
†	Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
^	Active player
*	Set the single-season rushing touchdowns record
(#)	Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

NFL annual rushing touchdowns leaders by season

Season	Leader	TDs	GP	Team	Refs
1932	Bronko Nagurski†	4*	14	Chicago Bears	[7][16]
1933	Glenn Presnell	6*	11	Portsmouth Spartans	[7][17]
1934	Dutch Clark†	8*	12	Detroit Lions	[7][18]
	Beattie Feathers		11	Chicago Bears	[7][19]
1935	Ernie Caddel	6	12	Detroit Lions	[7][20]
1936	Dutch Clark† (2)	7	12	Detroit Lions	[7][18]
1937	Cliff Battles†	5	10	Washington Redskins	[7][21]
	Dutch Clark† (3)		11	Detroit Lions	[7][18]
	Clarke Hinkle†		11	Green Bay Packers	[7][22]
1938	Andy Farkas	6	9	Washington Redskins	[7][23]
1939	Johnny Drake	9*	11	Cleveland Rams	[7][24]
1940	Johnny Drake (2)	9	11	Cleveland Rams	[7][24]
1941	Hugh Gallarneau	8	11	Chicago Bears	[7][25]
1942	Gary Famiglietti	8	10	Chicago Bears	[7][26]
1943	Bill Paschal	10*	9	New York Giants	[7][27]
1944	Bill Paschal (2)	9	10	New York Giants	[7][27]
1945	Steve Van Buren†	15*	10	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][28]
1946	Ted Fritsch	9	11	Green Bay Packers	[7][29]
1947	Steve Van Buren† (2)	13	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][28]
1948	Steve Van Buren† (3)	10	11	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][28]
1949	Steve Van Buren† (4)	11	12	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][28]
1950	Johnny Lujack	11	12	Chicago Bears	[7][30]
1951	Rob Goode	9	12	Washington Redskins	[7][31]
1952	Dan Towler	10	12	Los Angeles Rams	[7][32]
1953	Joe Perry†	10	12	San Francisco 49ers	[7][33]
1954	Dan Towler (2)	11	12	Los Angeles Rams	[7][32]
1955	Alan Ameche	9	12	Baltimore Colts	[7][34]
1956	Rick Casares	12	12	Chicago Bears	[7][35]
1957	Jim Brown†	9	12	Cleveland Browns	[7][36]
1958	Jim Brown† (2)	17*	12	Cleveland Browns	[7][36]
1959	Jim Brown† (3)	14	12	Cleveland Browns	[7][36]
1960	Paul Hornung†	13	12	Green Bay Packers	[7][37]
1961	Jim Taylor†	15	14	Green Bay Packers	[7][38]
1962	Jim Taylor† (2)	19*	14	Green Bay Packers	[7][38]
1963	Jim Brown† (4)	12	14	Cleveland Browns	[7][36]
1964	Lenny Moore†	16	14	Baltimore Colts	[7][39]
1965	Jim Brown† (5)	17	14	Cleveland Browns	[7][36]
1966	Leroy Kelly†	15	14	Cleveland Browns	[7][40]
1967	Leroy Kelly† (2)	11	14	Cleveland Browns	[7][40]
1968	Leroy Kelly† (3)	16	14	Cleveland Browns	[7][40]
1969	Tom Matte	11	14	Baltimore Colts	[7][41]
1970	MacArthur Lane	11	14	St. Louis Cardinals	[7][42]
1971	Duane Thomas	11	11	Dallas Cowboys	[7][43]
1972	Mercury Morris	12	14	Miami Dolphins	[7][44]
1973	Floyd Little†	12	14	Denver Broncos	[7][45]
	O. J. Simpson†		14	Buffalo Bills	[7][46]
1974	Tom Sullivan	11	14	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][47]
1975	Pete Banaszak	16	14	Oakland Raiders	[7][48]
	O. J. Simpson† (2)		14	Buffalo Bills	[7][46]
1976	Franco Harris†	14	14	Pittsburgh Steelers	[7][49]
1977	Walter Payton†	14	14	Chicago Bears	[7][50]
1978	David Sims	14	12	Seattle Seahawks	[7][51]
1979	Earl Campbell†	19	16	Houston Oilers	[7][52]
1980	Earl Campbell† (2)	13	15	Houston Oilers	[7][52]
	Billy Sims		16	Detroit Lions	[7][53]
1981	Chuck Muncie	19	15	San Diego Chargers	[7][54]
1982	Marcus Allen†	11	9	Los Angeles Raiders	[7][55][B]
1983	John Riggins†	24*	15	Washington Redskins	[7][57]
1984	Eric Dickerson†	14	16	Los Angeles Rams	[7][58]
	John Riggins† (2)		14	Washington Redskins	[7][57]
1985	Joe Morris	21	16	New York Giants	[7][59]
1986	George Rogers	18	15	Washington Redskins	[7][60]
1987	Johnny Hector	11	11	New York Jets	[7][61]
	Charles White		15	Los Angeles Rams	[7][62]
1988	Greg Bell	16	16	Los Angeles Rams	[7][63]
1989	Greg Bell (2)	15	16	Los Angeles Rams	[7][63]
1990	Derrick Fenner	14	16	Seattle Seahawks	[7][64]
	Cleveland Gary		15	Los Angeles Rams	[7][65]
1991	Barry Sanders†	16	15	Detroit Lions	[7][66]
1992	Emmitt Smith†	18	16	Dallas Cowboys	[7][67]
1993	Marcus Allen† (2)	12	16	Kansas City Chiefs	[7][55]
1994	Emmitt Smith† (2)	21	15	Dallas Cowboys	[7][67]
1995	Emmitt Smith† (3)	25*	16	Dallas Cowboys	[7][67]
1996	Terry Allen	21	16	Washington Redskins	[7][68]
1997	Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar	15	16	Miami Dolphins	[7][69]
	Terrell Davis†		15	Denver Broncos	[7][70]
1998	Terrell Davis† (2)	21	16	Denver Broncos	[7][70]
1999	Stephen Davis	17	14	Washington Redskins	[7][71]
2000	Marshall Faulk†	18	14	St. Louis Rams	[7][72]
2001	Shaun Alexander	14	16	Seattle Seahawks	[7][73]
2002	Priest Holmes	21	14	Kansas City Chiefs	[7][74]
2003	Priest Holmes (2)	27*	16	Kansas City Chiefs	[7][74]
2004	LaDainian Tomlinson†	17	15	San Diego Chargers	[7][75]
2005	Shaun Alexander (2)	27	16	Seattle Seahawks	[7][73]
2006	LaDainian Tomlinson† (2)	28*	16	San Diego Chargers	[7][75]
2007	LaDainian Tomlinson† (3)	15	16	San Diego Chargers	[7][75]
2008	DeAngelo Williams	18	16	Carolina Panthers	[7][76]
2009	Adrian Peterson	18	16	Minnesota Vikings	[7][77]
2010	Arian Foster	16	16	Houston Texans	[7][78]
2011	LeSean McCoy	17	15	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][79]
2012	Arian Foster (2)	15	16	Houston Texans	[7][78]
2013	Jamaal Charles	12	15	Kansas City Chiefs	[7][80]
	Marshawn Lynch		16	Seattle Seahawks	[7][81]
2014	Marshawn Lynch (2)	13	16	Seattle Seahawks	[7][81]
	DeMarco Murray		16	Dallas Cowboys	[7][82]
2015	Devonta Freeman	11	15	Atlanta Falcons	[7][83]
	Jeremy Hill		16	Cincinnati Bengals	[7][84]
	Adrian Peterson (2)		16	Minnesota Vikings	[7][77]
	DeAngelo Williams (2)		16	Pittsburgh Steelers	[7][76]
2016	LeGarrette Blount	18	16	New England Patriots	[7][85]
2017	Todd Gurley	13	15	Los Angeles Rams	[7][86]
2018	Todd Gurley (2)	17	14	Los Angeles Rams	[7][86]
2019	Derrick Henry^	16	15	Tennessee Titans	[7][87]
	Aaron Jones^		16	Green Bay Packers	[7][88]
2020	Derrick Henry^ (2)	17	16	Tennessee Titans	[7][87]
2021	Jonathan Taylor^	18	17	Indianapolis Colts	[7][89]
2022	Jamaal Williams^	17	17	Detroit Lions	[7][90]
2023	Raheem Mostert^	18	15	Miami Dolphins	[7][91]
2024	James Cook^	16	16	Buffalo Bills	[7][92]
	Derrick Henry^ (3)		17	Baltimore Ravens	[7][87]
	Jahmyr Gibbs^		17	Detroit Lions	[7][93]

AFL annual rushing touchdowns leaders

Key

Symbol	Meaning
Leader	The player who recorded the most rushing touchdowns in the AFL
TDs	The total number of rushing touchdowns the player had
GP	The number of games played by a player during the season
*	Player set the single-season rushing touchdowns record
(#)	Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

AFL annual rushing touchdowns leaders by season

Season	Leader	TDs	GP	Team	Refs
1960	Abner Haynes	9*	14	Dallas Texans	[7][94]
1961	Abner Haynes (2)	9	14	Dallas Texans	[7][94]
	Paul Lowe		14	San Diego Chargers	[7][95]
1962	Cookie Gilchrist	13*	14	Buffalo Bills	[7][96]
	Abner Haynes (3)		14	Dallas Texans	[7][94]
1963	Cookie Gilchrist (2)	12	14	Buffalo Bills	[7][96]
1964	Sid Blanks	6	14	Houston Oilers	[7][97]
	Cookie Gilchrist (3)		14	Buffalo Bills	[7][96]
	Daryle Lamonica		14	Buffalo Bills	[7][98]
1965	Wray Carlton	6	14	Buffalo Bills	[7][99]
	Cookie Gilchrist (4)		14	Denver Broncos	[7][96]
	Paul Lowe (2)		14	San Diego Chargers	[7][95]
	Curtis McClinton		14	Kansas City Chiefs	[7][100]
1966	Jim Nance	11	14	Boston Patriots	[7][101]
1967	Emerson Boozer	10	8	New York Jets	[7][102]
1968	Paul Robinson	8	14	Cincinnati Bengals	[7][103]
1969	Jim Kiick	9	14	Miami Dolphins	[7][104]

Most seasons leading the league

Count	Player	Seasons	Team(s)	Refs
5	Jim Brown	1957–1959, 1963, 1965	Cleveland Browns	[7][36]
4	Cookie Gilchrist	1962–1965	Buffalo Bills (3) / Denver Broncos (1)	[7][96]
	Steve Van Buren	1945, 1947–1949	Philadelphia Eagles	[7][28]
3	Dutch Clark	1934, 1936, 1937	Detroit Lions	[7][18]
	Abner Haynes	1960–1962	Dallas Texans	[7][94]
	Derrick Henry	2019, 2020, 2024	Tennessee Titans (2) / Baltimore Ravens (1)	[7][87]
	Leroy Kelly	1966–1968	Cleveland Browns	[7][40]
	Emmitt Smith	1992, 1994, 1995	Dallas Cowboys	[7][67]
	LaDainian Tomlinson	2004, 2006, 2007	San Diego Chargers	[7][75]

See also

• List of NFL career rushing touchdowns leaders
• List of NFL annual rushing yards leaders
• List of NFL annual scoring leaders

Notes

1. The NFL did not have a set number of games for teams to play until the 1935 season, instead setting a minimum.^[15]
2. The 1982 season was reduced from 16 to 9 games due to a 57-day players' strike.^[56]