# 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. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but other players, such as the quarterback, can run with the ball. A rushing touchdown is a play where the runner carries the ball into the end zone without a forward pass being involved.
The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. 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.
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. 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. 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. Jim Brown led the league in rushing touchdowns five times, the most of any player in league history.

## NFL annual rushing touchdowns leaders

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

## 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 |
| 1960 | Abner Haynes | 9* | 14 | Dallas Texans |
| 1961 | Abner Haynes (2) | 9 | 14 | Dallas Texans |
| 1961 | Paul Lowe | 9 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1962 | Cookie Gilchrist | 13* | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1962 | Abner Haynes (3) | 13* | 14 | Dallas Texans |
| 1963 | Cookie Gilchrist (2) | 12 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1964 | Sid Blanks | 6 | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1964 | Cookie Gilchrist (3) | 6 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1964 | Daryle Lamonica | 6 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1965 | Wray Carlton | 6 | 14 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1965 | Cookie Gilchrist (4) | 6 | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1965 | Paul Lowe (2) | 6 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1965 | Curtis McClinton | 6 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1966 | Jim Nance | 11 | 14 | Boston Patriots |
| 1967 | Emerson Boozer | 10 | 8 | New York Jets |
| 1968 | Paul Robinson | 8 | 14 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1969 | Jim Kiick | 9 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |

## Most seasons leading the league

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