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 NFL also recognizes the statistics of the All-America Football Conference, which operated from 1946 to 1949 before three of its teams were merged into the NFL, since 2025.

The record for rushing touchdowns in a season is held by LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers who rushed for 28 touchdowns in . Prior to Tomlinson's 2006 season, the record was jointly held by Priest Holmes and Shaun Alexander, each rushing for 27 touchdowns in and , 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 Team 4* 14 Chicago Bears 6* 11 Portsmouth Spartans 8* 12 Detroit Lions 11 Chicago Bears 6 12 Detroit Lions (2) 7 12 Detroit Lions 5 10 Washington Redskins (3) 11 Detroit Lions 11 Green Bay Packers 6 9 Washington Redskins 9* 11 Cleveland Rams (2) 9 11 Cleveland Rams 8 11 Chicago Bears 8 10 Chicago Bears 10* 9 New York Giants (2) 9 10 New York Giants 15* 10 Philadelphia Eagles 9 11 Green Bay Packers (2) 13 12 Philadelphia Eagles (3) 10 11 Philadelphia Eagles (4) 11 12 Philadelphia Eagles 11 12 Chicago Bears 9 12 Washington Redskins 10 12 Los Angeles Rams 10 12 San Francisco 49ers (2) 11 12 Los Angeles Rams 9 12 Baltimore Colts 12 12 Chicago Bears 9 12 Cleveland Browns (2) 17* 12 Cleveland Browns (3) 14 12 Cleveland Browns 13 12 Green Bay Packers 15 14 Green Bay Packers (2) 19* 14 Green Bay Packers (4) 12 14 Cleveland Browns 16 14 Baltimore Colts (5) 17 14 Cleveland Browns 15 14 Cleveland Browns (2) 11 14 Cleveland Browns (3) 16 14 Cleveland Browns 11 14 Baltimore Colts 11 14 St. Louis Cardinals 11 11 Dallas Cowboys 12 14 Miami Dolphins 12 14 Denver Broncos 14 Buffalo Bills 11 14 Philadelphia Eagles 16 14 Oakland Raiders (2) 14 Buffalo Bills 14 14 Pittsburgh Steelers 14 14 Chicago Bears 14 12 Seattle Seahawks 19 16 Houston Oilers (2) 13 15 Houston Oilers 16 Detroit Lions 19 15 San Diego Chargers 11 9 Los Angeles Raiders 24* 15 Washington Redskins 14 16 Los Angeles Rams (2) 14 Washington Redskins 21 16 New York Giants 18 15 Washington Redskins 11 11 New York Jets 15 Los Angeles Rams 16 16 Los Angeles Rams (2) 15 16 Los Angeles Rams 14 16 Seattle Seahawks 15 Los Angeles Rams 16 15 Detroit Lions 18 16 Dallas Cowboys (2) 12 16 Kansas City Chiefs (2) 21 15 Dallas Cowboys (3) 25* 16 Dallas Cowboys 21 16 Washington Redskins 15 16 Miami Dolphins 15 Denver Broncos (2) 21 16 Denver Broncos 17 14 Washington Redskins 18 14 St. Louis Rams 14 16 Seattle Seahawks 21 14 Kansas City Chiefs (2) 27* 16 Kansas City Chiefs 17 15 San Diego Chargers (2) 27 16 Seattle Seahawks (2) 28* 16 San Diego Chargers (3) 15 16 San Diego Chargers 18 16 Carolina Panthers 18 16 Minnesota Vikings 16 16 Houston Texans 17 15 Philadelphia Eagles (2) 15 16 Houston Texans 12 15 Kansas City Chiefs 16 Seattle Seahawks (2) 13 16 Seattle Seahawks 16 Dallas Cowboys 11 15 Atlanta Falcons 16 Cincinnati Bengals (2) 16 Minnesota Vikings (2) 16 Pittsburgh Steelers 18 16 New England Patriots 13 15 Los Angeles Rams (2) 17 14 Los Angeles Rams ^ 16 15 Tennessee Titans ^ 16 Green Bay Packers ^ (2) 17 16 Tennessee Titans ^ 18 17 Indianapolis Colts 17 17 Detroit Lions 18 15 Miami Dolphins ^ 16 16 Buffalo Bills ^ 17 Detroit Lions ^ (3) 17 Baltimore Ravens ^ (2) 18 17 Indianapolis Colts

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 Team 1960 9* 14 Dallas Texans 1961 (2) 9 14 Dallas Texans 14 San Diego Chargers 1962 13* 14 Buffalo Bills (3) 14 Dallas Texans 1963 (2) 12 14 Buffalo Bills 1964 6 14 Houston Oilers (3) 14 Buffalo Bills 14 Buffalo Bills 1965 6 14 Buffalo Bills (4) 14 Denver Broncos (2) 14 San Diego Chargers 14 Kansas City Chiefs 1966 11 14 Boston Patriots 1967 10 8 New York Jets 1968 8 14 Cincinnati Bengals 1969 9 14 Miami Dolphins

AAFC annual rushing touchdowns leaders

+ Key Symbol Meaning Leader The player who recorded the most rushing touchdowns in the AAFC TDs The total number of rushing 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 rushing touchdowns record (#)Denotes the number of times a player appears in this list

+ AAFC annual rushing touchdowns leaders by season Season Leader Team 1946 6*10San Francisco 49ers 13Cleveland Browns 14Los Angeles Dons13New York Yankees 1947 (2)18*14New York Yankees19481014Buffalo Bills14San Francisco 49ers1949811Cleveland Browns (2)11San Francisco 49ers

Most seasons leading the league Count Player Seasons Team(s) 5 , , Cleveland Browns 4 1962–1965 Buffalo Bills (3) / Denver Broncos (1) , Philadelphia Eagles3 , , Detroit Lions 1960–1962 Dallas Texans , , Tennessee Titans (2) / Baltimore Ravens (1) Cleveland Browns 1948, 1949, San Francisco 49ers , , Dallas Cowboys , , San Diego Chargers2 , Seattle Seahawks , Los Angeles Raiders (1) / Kansas City Chiefs , Los Angeles Rams , Houston Oilers , Denver Broncos , Cleveland Rams , Houston Texans , Los Angeles Rams , Kansas City Chiefs 1961, 1965 San Diego Chargers , Seattle Seahawks , New York Giants , Minnesota Vikings , Washington Redskins 1946, 1947 New York Yankees , Buffalo Bills , Green Bay Packers , Indianapolis Colts , Los Angeles Rams , Carolina Panthers (1) / Pittsburgh Steelers

See also List of NFL career rushing touchdowns leaders List of NFL annual rushing yards leaders List of NFL annual scoring leaders

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