# List of NFL annual scoring leaders

In American football, scoring can be achieved via touchdown (six points), a field goal (three points), a safety (two points), or by conversion try. After a touchdown is scored, a team will attempt a conversion try, often called the point after touchdown (PAT), for either one or two points. The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. In addition to the NFL scoring leaders, league record books recognize the scoring leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. For statistical purposes, a player is credited with points scored when they kick a field goal, cause a safety, convert a PAT, or score a touchdown.
The single-season scoring record is held by LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers who, in 2006, scored 186 points and broke the 46-year-old record held by Paul Hornung. Three players, Gino Cappelletti, Don Hutson, and Stephen Gostkowski, have led the league a record five times each, all having done so in at least four consecutive seasons. Hutson however is the only one to have led in five consecutive seasons.

## NFL annual scoring leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most points in the NFL |
| Position | The player's designated position |
| Pts | The total number of points the player scored |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| ^ | Active player |
| * | Set the single-season scoring record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
NFL annual scoring leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | Position | Pts | GP | Team |
| 1932 | Dutch Clark† | Tailback | 55* | 11 | Portsmouth Spartans |
| 1933 | Glenn Presnell | Halfback | 64* | 11 | Portsmouth Spartans |
| 1933 | Ken Strong† | Fullback | 64* | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1934 | Jack Manders | Halfback | 76* | 13 | Chicago Bears |
| 1935 | Dutch Clark† (2) | Tailback | 55 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1936 | Dutch Clark† (3) | Tailback | 73 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1937 | Jack Manders (2) | Halfback | 69 | 11 | Chicago Bears |
| 1938 | Clarke Hinkle† | Fullback | 58 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1939 | Andy Farkas | Fullback | 68 | 11 | Washington Redskins |
| 1940 | Don Hutson† | End | 57 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1941 | Don Hutson† (2) | End | 95* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1942 | Don Hutson† (3) | End | 138* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1943 | Don Hutson† (4) | End | 117 | 10 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1944 | Don Hutson† (5) | End | 85 | 10 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1945 | Steve Van Buren† | Halfback | 110 | 10 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1946 | Ted Fritsch | Fullback | 100 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1947 | Pat Harder | Fullback | 102 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1948 | Pat Harder (2) | Fullback | 110 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1949 | Pat Harder (3) | Fullback | 102 | 11 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1949 | Gene Roberts | Halfback | 102 | 12 | New York Giants |
| 1950 | Doak Walker† | Halfback | 128 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1951 | Elroy Hirsch† | End | 102 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1952 | Gordy Soltau | End | 94 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1953 | Gordy Soltau (2) | End | 114 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1954 | Bobby Walston | End | 114 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1955 | Doak Walker† (2) | Halfback | 96 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1956 | Bobby Layne† | Quarterback | 99 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1957 | Sam Baker | Kicker | 77 | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1957 | Lou Groza† | Tackle | 77 | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1958 | Jim Brown† | Fullback | 108 | 12 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1959 | Paul Hornung† | Halfback | 94 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1960 | Paul Hornung† (2) | Halfback | 176* | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1961 | Paul Hornung† (3) | Halfback | 146 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1962 | Jim Taylor† | Fullback | 114 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1963 | Don Chandler | Punter | 106 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1964 | Lenny Moore† | Halfback | 120 | 14 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1965 | Gale Sayers† | Halfback | 132 | 14 | Chicago Bears |
| 1966 | Bruce Gossett | Kicker | 113 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1967 | Jim Bakken | Kicker | 117 | 14 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1968 | Leroy Kelly† | Running back | 120 | 14 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1969 | Fred Cox | Kicker | 121 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1970 | Fred Cox (2) | Kicker | 125 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1971 | Garo Yepremian | Kicker | 117 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1972 | Chester Marcol | Kicker | 128 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1973 | David Ray | Kicker | 130 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1974 | Chester Marcol (2) | Kicker | 94 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1975 | O. J. Simpson† | Running back | 138 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1976 | Toni Linhart | Kicker | 109 | 14 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1977 | Errol Mann | Kicker | 99 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1978 | Frank Corral | Kicker | 118 | 16 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1979 | John Smith | Kicker | 115 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 1980 | John Smith (2) | Kicker | 129 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 1981 | Eddie Murray | Kicker | 121 | 16 | Detroit Lions |
| 1981 | Rafael Septien | Kicker | 121 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1982 | Marcus Allen† | Running back | 84 | 9 | Los Angeles Raiders |
| 1983 | Mark Moseley | Kicker | 161 | 16 | Washington Redskins |
| 1984 | Ray Wersching | Kicker | 131 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1985 | Kevin Butler | Kicker | 144 | 16 | Chicago Bears |
| 1986 | Tony Franklin | Kicker | 140 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 1987 | Jerry Rice† | Wide receiver | 138 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1988 | Scott Norwood | Kicker | 129 | 16 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1989 | Mike Cofer | Kicker | 136 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1990 | Nick Lowery | Kicker | 139 | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1991 | Chip Lohmiller | Kicker | 149 | 16 | Washington Redskins |
| 1992 | Pete Stoyanovich | Kicker | 124 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1993 | Jeff Jaeger | Kicker | 132 | 16 | Los Angeles Raiders |
| 1994 | John Carney | Kicker | 135 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1995 | Emmitt Smith† | Running back | 150 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1996 | John Kasay | Kicker | 145 | 16 | Carolina Panthers |
| 1997 | Mike Hollis | Kicker | 134 | 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 1998 | Gary Anderson | Kicker | 164 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1999 | Mike Vanderjagt | Kicker | 145 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2000 | Marshall Faulk† | Running back | 160 | 14 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2001 | Marshall Faulk† (2) | Running back | 128 | 14 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2002 | Priest Holmes | Running back | 144 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2003 | Jeff Wilkins | Kicker | 163 | 16 | St. Louis Rams |
| 2004 | Adam Vinatieri | Kicker | 141 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2005 | Shaun Alexander | Running back | 168 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson† | Running back | 186* | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2007 | Mason Crosby | Kicker | 141 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2008 | Stephen Gostkowski | Kicker | 148 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2009 | Nate Kaeding | Kicker | 146 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 2010 | David Akers | Kicker | 143 | 16 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2011 | David Akers (2) | Kicker | 166 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2012 | Stephen Gostkowski (2) | Kicker | 153 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2013 | Stephen Gostkowski (3) | Kicker | 158 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2014 | Stephen Gostkowski (4) | Kicker | 156 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2015 | Stephen Gostkowski (5) | Kicker | 151 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2016 | Matt Bryant | Kicker | 158 | 16 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2017 | Greg Zuerlein^ | Kicker | 158 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2018 | Kaʻimi Fairbairn^ | Kicker | 150 | 16 | Houston Texans |
| 2019 | Harrison Butker^ | Kicker | 147 | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2020 | Daniel Carlson^ | Kicker | 144 | 16 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2020 | Younghoe Koo^ | Kicker | 144 | 15 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2020 | Jason Sanders^ | Kicker | 144 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2021 | Daniel Carlson^ (2) | Kicker | 150 | 17 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2021 | Nick Folk^ | Kicker | 150 | 17 | New England Patriots |
| 2022 | Jason Myers^ | Kicker | 143 | 17 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2023 | Brandon Aubrey^ | Kicker | 157 | 17 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2024 | Chris Boswell^ | Kicker | 158 | 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers |

## AFL annual scoring leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Player | The player who recorded the most points in the AFL |
| Position | The player's designated position |
| Pts | The total number of points the player scored |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player set the single-season scoring record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
AFL annual scoring leaders by season :
| Season | Player | Position | Pts | GP | Team |
| 1960 | Gene Mingo | Halfback | 123* | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1961 | Gino Cappelletti | End | 147* | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1962 | Gene Mingo (2) | Halfback | 137 | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1963 | Gino Cappelletti (2) | End | 113 | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1964 | Gino Cappelletti (3) | Flanker | 155* | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1965 | Gino Cappelletti (4) | Flanker | 132 | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1966 | Gino Cappelletti (5) | Flanker | 119 | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1967 | George Blanda† | Quarterback | 116 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1968 | Jim Turner | Kicker | 145 | 14 | New York Jets |
| 1969 | Jim Turner (2) | Kicker | 129 | 14 | New York Jets |

## Most seasons leading the league

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 5 | Gino Cappelletti | 1961, 1963–1966 | Boston Patriots |
| 5 | Stephen Gostkowski | 2008, 2012–2015 | New England Patriots |
| 5 | Don Hutson | 1940–1944 | Green Bay Packers |
| 3 | Dutch Clark | 1932, 1935, 1936 | Portsmouth Spartans (2) / Detroit Lions (1) |
| 3 | Pat Harder | 1947–1949 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 3 | Paul Hornung | 1959–1961 | Green Bay Packers |