List of National Football League career rushing touchdowns leaders

This is a list of National Football League (NFL) running backs by total career rushing touchdowns. This list includes all running backs with at least 75.

Emmitt Smith is the all-time leader with 164. He also leads in postseason touchdowns with 19.

Players with at least 75 touchdowns

Key

^	Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
*	Denotes player who is still active

Through end of 2020 season

Rank	Player	Team(s) by season	Touchdowns
1	Emmitt Smith^^	Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002) Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004)	164
2	LaDainian Tomlinson^^	San Diego Chargers (2001–2009) New York Jets (2010–2011)	145
3	Marcus Allen^^	Los Angeles Raiders (1982–1992) Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1997)	123
4	Adrian Peterson^*	Minnesota Vikings (2007–2016) New Orleans Saints/Arizona Cardinals (2017) Washington Redskins (2018–2019) Detroit Lions (2020–present)	118
5	Walter Payton^^	Chicago Bears (1975–1987)	110
6	Jim Brown^^	Cleveland Browns (1957–1965)	106
7	John Riggins^^	New York Jets (1971–1975) Washington Redskins (1976–1985)	104
8	Shaun Alexander	Seattle Seahawks (2000–2007) Washington Redskins (2008)	100
	Marshall Faulk^^	Indianapolis Colts (1994–1998) St. Louis Rams (1999–2005)
10	Barry Sanders^^	Detroit Lions (1989–1998)	99
11	Jerome Bettis^^	L.A./St. Louis Rams (1993–1995) Pittsburgh Steelers (1996–2005)	91
	Franco Harris^^	Pittsburgh Steelers (1972–1983) Seattle Seahawks (1984)
13	Eric Dickerson^^	Los Angeles Rams (1983–1987) Indianapolis Colts (1987–1991) Los Angeles Raiders (1992) Atlanta Falcons (1993)	90
	Curtis Martin^^	New England Patriots (1995–1997) New York Jets (1998–2005)
15	Priest Holmes	Baltimore Ravens (1997–2000) Kansas City Chiefs (2001–2007)	86
16	Marshawn Lynch	Buffalo Bills (2007–2010) Seattle Seahawks (2010–2015, 2019) Oakland Raiders (2017–2018)	85
17	Jim Taylor^^	Green Bay Packers (1958–1966) New Orleans Saints (1967)	83
18	Corey Dillon	Cincinnati Bengals (1997–2003) New England Patriots (2004–2006)	82
19	Ottis Anderson	St. Louis Cardinals (1979–1986) New York Giants (1986–1992)	81
	Frank Gore^*	San Francisco 49ers (2005–2014) Indianapolis Colts (2015–2017) Miami Dolphins (2018) Buffalo Bills (2019) New York Jets (2020–present)
21	Edgerrin James^^	Indianapolis Colts (1999–2005) Arizona Cardinals (2006–2008) Seattle Seahawks (2009)	80
22	Ricky Watters	San Francisco 49ers (1992–1994) Philadelphia Eagles (1995–1997) Seattle Seahawks (1998–2001)	78
23	Tony Dorsett^^	Dallas Cowboys (1977–1987) Denver Broncos (1988)	77
24	Pete Johnson	Cincinnati Bengals (1976–1983) Miami Dolphins/San Diego Chargers (1984)	76
25	Clinton Portis	Denver Broncos (2002–2003) Washington Redskins (2004–2010)	75

Active player with 70-74 touchdowns

Through end of 2020 season

1	LeSean McCoy	73 (27th)
2	Cam Newton	70 (32nd)

Players with at least 10 postseason rushing touchdowns

Through end of 2020 playoffs[1]

Rank	Player	Team(s) by season	Touchdowns
1	Emmitt Smith^^	Dallas Cowboys (1990–2002) Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004)	19
2	Franco Harris^^	Pittsburgh Steelers (1972–1983) Seattle Seahawks (1984)	16
	Thurman Thomas^^	Buffalo Bills (1988–1999) Miami Dolphins (2000)
4	Terrell Davis^^	Denver Broncos (1995–2001)	12
	Marshawn Lynch	Buffalo Bills (2007–2010) Seattle Seahawks (2010–2015, 2019) Oakland Raiders (2017–2018)
	John Riggins^^	New York Jets (1971–1975) Washington Redskins (1976–1985)
7	Marcus Allen^^	Los Angeles Raiders (1982–1992) Kansas City Chiefs (1993–1997)	11
	LeGarrette Blount	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2010–2012) New England Patriots (2013) Pittsburgh Steelers (2014) New England Patriots (2014–2016) Philadelphia Eagles (2017) Detroit Lions (2018)

Historical rushing touchdowns leaders

Fifteen players are recognised as having held outright or tied the record as the NFL's career rushing touchdowns leader.[2] Both Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith have held the record for over 20 years.

Jim Brown held the record 24 years, from the early 1960s until the Walter Payton era.

As of the NFL's centennial season, Emmitt Smith is over 50 touchdowns ahead of the closest active running back

Reign	Player	Team(s) while leader	Career rushing touchdowns	Season(s)
1921	Fritz Pollard^^ [3]	Akron Pros	6	1921
1922	Carl Cramer [4]	Akron Pros	10	1922
1923	Jimmy Conzelman^^ [5]	Milwaukee Badgers	11	1923
1924	Doc Elliott [6]	Cleveland Bulldogs	14	1924
1925–1926 (2 years)	Tex Hamer [7]	Frankford Yellow Jackets	17	1925
			19	1926
Tied 1926	Ben Jones [8]	Frankford Yellow Jackets	19	1926
1927–1929 (3 years)	Paddy Driscoll^^ [9]	Chicago Bears	22	1927
			24	1928
			25	1929
1930	Verne Lewellen [10]	Green Bay Packers	31	1930
1931–1947 (17 years)	Ernie Nevers^^ [11]	Chicago Cardinals	38	1931–1947
Tied 1947	Steve Van Buren^^ [12]	Philadelphia Eagles	38	1947
1948–1960 (14 years)			48	1948
			59	1949
			63	1950
			69	1951–1960
1961–1962 (2 years)	Joe Perry^^ [13]	Baltimore Colts	71	1961–1962
1963–1987 (24 years)	Jim Brown^^ [14]	Cleveland Browns	82	1963
			89	1964
			106	1965–1986
Tied 1986	Walter Payton^^ [15]	Chicago Bears	106	1986
1987–1995 (10 years)			110	1987–1995
1996–1997 (2 years)	Marcus Allen^^ [16]	Kansas City Chiefs	112	1996
			123	1997
Since 1998 (23 years)	Emmitt Smith^^ [17]	Dallas Cowboys (1998–2002) Arizona Cardinals (2003–2004)	125	1998
			136	1999
			145	2000
			148	2001
			153	2002
			155	2003
			164	Since 2004

See also

• NFL records (individual)
• List of National Football League career rushing yards leaders

References

1. "NFL Rushing Touchdowns Career Playoffs Leaders". ProFootballReference.com. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
2. "NFL Rushing Touchdowns Career Leaders". Pro football reference.com. October 30, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
3. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1921". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
4. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1922". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
5. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1923". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
6. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1923". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
7. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1925". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
8. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1926". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
9. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1929". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
10. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1930". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
11. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1931". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
12. "Steve Van Buren stats". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
13. "NFL Career Rushing Touchdowns Leaders Through 1962". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
14. "Jim Brown stats". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
15. "Walter Payton stats". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
16. "Marcus Allen stats". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
17. "Emmitt Smith stats". Pro football reference.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.

• Career rushing touchdown leaders at profootballreference.com