# List of NFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders

In American football, passing, along with running (also referred to as rushing), is one of the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. Passes are typically attempted by the quarterback, but any offensive player can attempt a pass provided they are behind the line of scrimmage. To qualify as a passing play, the ball must have initially moved forward after leaving the hands of the passer; if the ball initially moved laterally or backwards, the play would instead be considered a running play. A receiving touchdown is scored when a player catches the ball in the field of play and advances it into the end zone, or catches it while already being within the boundaries of the end zone.
The National Football League (NFL) did not begin keeping official records until the 1932 season. Since the adoption of the 14-game season in 1961, only one season (the strike-shortened 1982 season) has had a receiving touchdowns league leader record fewer than 10 touchdown catches. The record for receiving touchdowns in a season is 23, set by Randy Moss during the 2007 season; only one other player (Jerry Rice) has recorded 20 or more receiving touchdowns in a season. In addition to the overall NFL receiving touchdown leaders, league record books recognize the receiving touchdown leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the National Football League in 1970.
Don Hutson led the league in receiving touchdowns nine times, the most of any player in league history; Rice ranks second with six league-leading seasons. Hutson also holds the record for the two longest streaks leading the league in receiving touchdowns, doing so for four consecutive seasons (1935 to 1938) and then doing it for five consecutive years from 1940 to 1944.

## NFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL |
| TDs | The total number of receiving 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 receiving touchdowns record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
NFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | TDs | GP | Team |
| 1932 | Ray Flaherty† | 5* | 12 | New York Giants |
| 1933 | Dale Burnett | 3 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1933 | Ernie Caddel | 3 | 11 | Portsmouth Spartans |
| 1933 | Luke Johnsos | 3 | 13 | Chicago Bears |
| 1933 | Bill Karr | 3 | 13 | Chicago Bears |
| 1933 | Shipwreck Kelly | 3 | 10 | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| 1933 | Johnny McNally† | 3 | 13 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1933 | Kink Richards | 3 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1934 | Bill Hewitt† | 5 | 13 | Chicago Bears |
| 1935 | Don Hutson† | 6* | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1935 | Bill Karr (2) | 6* | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1936 | Don Hutson† (2) | 8* | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1937 | Don Hutson† (3) | 7 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1938 | Don Hutson† (4) | 9* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1939 | Jim Benton | 7 | 11 | Cleveland Rams |
| 1940 | Don Hutson† (5) | 7 | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1941 | Don Hutson† (6) | 10* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1942 | Don Hutson† (7) | 17* | 11 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1943 | Don Hutson† (8) | 11 | 10 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1944 | Don Hutson† (9) | 9 | 10 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1945 | Frank Liebel | 10 | 10 | New York Giants |
| 1946 | Billy Dewell | 7 | 11 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1947 | Ken Kavanaugh | 13 | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1948 | Malcolm Kutner | 14 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1949 | Tom Fears† | 9 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1949 | Ken Kavanaugh (2) | 9 | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1949 | Hugh Taylor | 9 | 12 | Washington Redskins |
| 1950 | Bob Shaw | 12 | 12 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1951 | Elroy Hirsch† | 17 | 12 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1952 | Cloyce Box | 15 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
| 1953 | Pete Pihos† | 10 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1953 | Billy Wilson | 10 | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1954 | Harlon Hill | 12 | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1955 | Harlon Hill (2) | 9 | 12 | Chicago Bears |
| 1956 | Billy Howton | 12 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1957 | Jim Mutscheller | 8 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1958 | Raymond Berry† | 9 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1958 | Tommy McDonald† | 9 | 12 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1959 | Raymond Berry† (2) | 14 | 12 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1960 | Sonny Randle | 15 | 12 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1961 | Tommy McDonald† (2) | 13 | 14 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1962 | Frank Clarke | 14 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1963 | Terry Barr | 13 | 14 | Detroit Lions |
| 1963 | Gary Collins | 13 | 14 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1964 | Bobby Mitchell† | 10 | 14 | Washington Redskins |
| 1964 | Johnny Morris | 10 | 14 | Chicago Bears |
| 1964 | Bucky Pope | 10 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1965 | Bob Hayes† | 12 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1965 | Dave Parks | 12 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1966 | Bob Hayes† (2) | 13 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1967 | Homer Jones | 13 | 14 | New York Giants |
| 1968 | Paul Warfield† | 12 | 14 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1969 | Lance Rentzel | 12 | 14 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1970 | Dick Gordon | 13 | 14 | Chicago Bears |
| 1971 | Paul Warfield† (2) | 11 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1972 | Gene Washington | 12 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1973 | Harold Jackson | 13 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1974 | Cliff Branch† | 13 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1975 | Mel Gray | 11 | 14 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1975 | Lynn Swann† | 11 | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1976 | Cliff Branch† (2) | 12 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1977 | Nat Moore | 12 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1978 | John Jefferson | 13 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1979 | Stanley Morgan | 12 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 1980 | John Jefferson (2) | 13 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1981 | Alfred Jenkins | 13 | 16 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1981 | Steve Watson | 13 | 16 | Denver Broncos |
| 1982 | Wes Chandler | 9 | 8 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1983 | Roy Green | 14 | 16 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1984 | Mark Clayton | 18 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1985 | Daryl Turner | 13 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1986 | Jerry Rice† | 15 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1987 | Jerry Rice† (2) | 22* | 12 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1988 | Mark Clayton (2) | 14 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1989 | Jerry Rice† (3) | 17 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1990 | Jerry Rice† (4) | 13 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1991 | Jerry Rice† (5) | 14 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1992 | Sterling Sharpe† | 13 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1993 | Jerry Rice† (6) | 15 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1993 | Andre Rison | 15 | 16 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1994 | Sterling Sharpe† (2) | 18 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1995 | Cris Carter† | 17 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1995 | Carl Pickens | 17 | 16 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1996 | Michael Jackson | 14 | 16 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 1996 | Tony Martin | 14 | 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1997 | Cris Carter† (2) | 13 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1998 | Randy Moss† | 17 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1999 | Cris Carter† (3) | 13 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2000 | Randy Moss† (2) | 15 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2001 | Terrell Owens† | 16 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2002 | Terrell Owens† (2) | 13 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2003 | Randy Moss† (3) | 17 | 16 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2004 | Muhsin Muhammad | 16 | 16 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2005 | Marvin Harrison† | 12 | 16 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2005 | Steve Smith | 12 | 16 | Carolina Panthers |
| 2006 | Terrell Owens† (3) | 13 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2007 | Randy Moss† (4) | 23* | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2008 | Larry Fitzgerald | 12 | 16 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2008 | Calvin Johnson† | 12 | 16 | Detroit Lions |
| 2009 | Vernon Davis | 13 | 16 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2009 | Larry Fitzgerald (2) | 13 | 16 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2009 | Randy Moss† (5) | 13 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2010 | Dwayne Bowe | 15 | 16 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2011 | Rob Gronkowski | 17 | 16 | New England Patriots |
| 2012 | James Jones | 14 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2013 | Jimmy Graham | 16 | 16 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2014 | Dez Bryant | 16 | 16 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2015 | Doug Baldwin | 14 | 16 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2015 | Brandon Marshall | 14 | 16 | New York Jets |
| 2015 | Allen Robinson^ | 14 | 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2016 | Jordy Nelson | 14 | 16 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2017 | DeAndre Hopkins^ | 13 | 15 | Houston Texans |
| 2018 | Antonio Brown | 15 | 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2019 | Kenny Golladay | 11 | 16 | Detroit Lions |
| 2020 | Davante Adams^ | 18 | 14 | Green Bay Packers |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp^ | 16 | 17 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2022 | Davante Adams^ (2) | 14 | 17 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2023 | Mike Evans^ | 13 | 17 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2023 | Tyreek Hill^ | 13 | 16 | Miami Dolphins |
| 2024 | Ja'Marr Chase^ | 17 | 17 | Cincinnati Bengals |

## AFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders

Key :
| Symbol | Meaning |
| Leader | The player who recorded the most receiving touchdowns in the AFL |
| TDs | The total number of receiving touchdowns the player had |
| GP | The number of games played by a player during the season |
| † | Pro Football Hall of Fame member |
| * | Player set the single-season receiving touchdowns record |
| (#) | Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list |
AFL annual receiving touchdowns leaders by season :
| Season | Leader | TDs | GP | Team |
| 1960 | Art Powell | 14* | 14 | New York Titans |
| 1961 | Bill Groman | 17* | 14 | Houston Oilers |
| 1962 | Chris Burford | 12 | 14 | Dallas Texans |
| 1963 | Art Powell (2) | 16 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1964 | Lance Alworth† | 13 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1965 | Lance Alworth† (2) | 14 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1965 | Don Maynard† | 14 | 14 | New York Jets |
| 1966 | Lance Alworth† (3) | 13 | 14 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1967 | Al Denson | 11 | 14 | Denver Broncos |
| 1967 | Otis Taylor | 11 | 14 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 1968 | Karl Noonan | 11 | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1968 | Warren Wells | 11 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1969 | Warren Wells (2) | 14 | 14 | Oakland Raiders |

## Most seasons leading the league

| Count | Player | Seasons | Team(s) |
| 9 | Don Hutson | 1935–1938, 1940–1944 | Green Bay Packers |
| 6 | Jerry Rice | 1986, 1987, 1989–1991, 1993 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 5 | Randy Moss | 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009 | Minnesota Vikings (3) / New England Patriots (2) |
| 3 | Lance Alworth | 1964–1966 | San Diego Chargers |
| 3 | Cris Carter | 1995, 1997, 1999 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 3 | Terrell Owens | 2001, 2002, 2006 | San Francisco 49ers (2) / Dallas Cowboys (1) |