Most Rushing Touchdowns in NFL History Tier List

Emmitt Smith has the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history with 164 career rushing touchdowns. LaDainian Tomlinson is second with 145, while Marcus Allen, Derrick Henry and Adrian Peterson are the only other players shown in the 120-plus rushing touchdown range.

That makes this leaderboard one of the cleanest ways to measure long-term scoring dominance on the ground. Rushing yards show volume and longevity, but rushing touchdowns show who earned goal-line trust, powered through contact and turned red-zone chances into points.

This is a stats-based tier list, not a subjective ranking of the best running backs ever. The tiers are based on career rushing touchdowns. That is why Emmitt Smith stands alone in Tier 1, LaDainian Tomlinson owns Tier 2, and Derrick Henry has climbed into the same tier as Marcus Allen and Adrian Peterson.

Rushing yards, efficiency, peak dominance, receiving value, offensive line context, quarterback rushing value, playoff impact, era and all-around résumé all matter in the write-ups. But the tier placement follows one simple rule: the more career rushing touchdowns, the higher the tier.

That framework explains why this list includes classic running back icons like Walter Payton, Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson, modern bruisers like Derrick Henry and Marshawn Lynch, all-purpose stars like Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson, and rare quarterback rushing names like Josh Allen and Cam Newton.

Full Tier List Table: Most Rushing TDs in NFL History

Note: This is a career rushing touchdown tier list. Players are grouped by touchdown range, and the order follows the graphic layout.

Active watch: Derrick Henry and Josh Allen are the two biggest active names on this list. Henry is already fourth all-time among all players, while Allen has separated himself as the top rushing touchdown quarterback in NFL history.

Top 50 Most Rushing TDs in NFL History

Here is the expanded top 50 leaderboard for the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history. The tier list above covers the players shown in the graphic, while this table gives more context for the all-time rushing touchdown race beyond the 75-touchdown cutoff.

How We Ranked the Most Rushing TDs in NFL History

This list is ranked by career rushing touchdowns. The tier cutoffs are based on the scoring ranges shown in the graphic: 160-plus, 140-plus, 120-plus, 100-plus, 90-plus, 80-plus and 75-plus rushing touchdowns.

Career rushing touchdowns are not the only way to judge a runner, but they reveal something important. A player has to earn goal-line trust, survive contact, stay productive across years and keep finishing drives even when defenses know the ball is coming.

Era context matters too. Jim Brown played only nine seasons. Walter Payton carried a massive all-around workload. LaDainian Tomlinson had one of the greatest touchdown peaks ever. Derrick Henry is a rare modern workhorse. Josh Allen brings a quarterback rushing profile that looks completely different from the running backs around him.

The totals decide the tiers, but the write-ups explain why each career matters. Some players built their résumé with long-term durability. Others had shorter scoring peaks that were too dominant to ignore. The common thread is simple: every player here became one of the most trusted rushing touchdown threats in football history.

Tier 1: 160+ Rushing TDs

Tier 1 includes Emmitt Smith with 164 career rushing touchdowns.

Tier 1 belongs to one player only. Emmitt Smith is the NFL’s career rushing touchdown king, and his 164 rushing scores still stand alone at the top.

Emmitt Smith

Career stats/accolades: 164 rushing TDs, 18,355 rushing yards, 8 Pro Bowls, 4 First-Team All-Pro selections, 3 Super Bowl titles, Super Bowl XXVIII MVP, NFL MVP, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Emmitt Smith’s touchdown record is built on patience, durability, goal-line toughness and trust. Dallas knew exactly who was getting the ball near the end zone, and Smith still kept finishing drives.

He was not just a volume back. Smith had elite vision, balance and timing behind one of the greatest offensive lines in football history. His rushing touchdown record is a perfect symbol of the Cowboys’ 1990s dynasty: controlled, physical and relentless.

Tier 2: 140+ Rushing TDs

Tier 2 includes LaDainian Tomlinson with 145 career rushing touchdowns.

Tier 2 belongs to LaDainian Tomlinson alone. He is one of the greatest touchdown machines football has ever seen.

LaDainian Tomlinson

Career stats/accolades: 145 rushing TDs, 13,684 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, 3 First-Team All-Pro selections, NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

LaDainian Tomlinson was a scoring weapon from everywhere. He could run inside, bounce outside, catch passes, throw trick-play touchdowns and dominate at the goal line.

His 2006 season remains one of the greatest scoring seasons in NFL history, but the career total is what lands him here. LT was not a one-year touchdown spike. He was a long-term red-zone nightmare.

Tier 3: 120+ Rushing TDs

Tier 3 includes Marcus Allen with 123 rushing touchdowns, Derrick Henry with 122, and Adrian Peterson with 120.

Tier 3 is a fascinating mix: Marcus Allen’s smooth finishing ability, Derrick Henry’s modern power dominance and Adrian Peterson’s violent explosiveness.

Marcus Allen

Career stats/accolades: 123 rushing TDs, 12,243 rushing yards, 6 Pro Bowls, NFL MVP, Super Bowl XVIII MVP, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Marcus Allen was one of the smartest finishers ever. He had patience, vision and a smooth running style that helped him score in different offensive roles across a long career.

His late-career touchdown production with Kansas City helped push him into this elite tier. Allen’s career was not just about yards. It was about knowing how to finish drives.

Derrick Henry

Career stats/accolades: 122 rushing TDs, 13,018 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, 2-time rushing champion, Offensive Player of the Year, 2,000-yard rushing season.

Derrick Henry is one of the rare modern backs who made old-school power running feel current again. At his best, he was a 247-pound closer who could punish defenders and still outrun defensive backs in the open field.

Henry climbing to fourth on the career rushing touchdown list is a major statement. Running backs are not supposed to age like this anymore, but Henry kept stacking touchdowns through 2025 and pushed himself into rare company with Marcus Allen and Adrian Peterson.

Adrian Peterson

Career stats/accolades: 120 rushing TDs, 14,918 rushing yards, 7 Pro Bowls, 4 First-Team All-Pro selections, NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year.

Adrian Peterson ran with rare violence and acceleration. He could turn a small crease into a long touchdown, and he could also run through contact when the defense knew the ball was coming.

His 2012 comeback season is the headline, but the touchdown total shows the full career story. Peterson stayed dangerous near the goal line and in open space for a long time.

Tier 4: 100+ Rushing TDs

Tier 4 includes Walter Payton, Jim Brown, John Riggins, Shaun Alexander, and Marshall Faulk with 100+ career rushing touchdowns.

Tier 4 is the 100-touchdown club. Every player here reached triple digits on the ground, which is one of the hardest long-term scoring milestones in football.

Walter Payton

Career stats/accolades: 110 rushing TDs, 16,726 rushing yards, 9 Pro Bowls, 5 First-Team All-Pro selections, Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Walter Payton was one of the most complete backs ever. He could run, catch, block, throw, finish drives and carry an offense without ever feeling one-dimensional.

Payton’s 110 rushing touchdowns came through toughness and creativity. Sweetness could make defenders miss, but he was also physical enough to handle goal-line work and heavy volume.

Jim Brown

Career stats/accolades: 106 rushing TDs, 12,312 rushing yards, 9 Pro Bowls, 8 First-Team All-Pro selections, 3-time NFL MVP, NFL champion, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Brown’s touchdown total is incredible because he played only nine seasons. Most players need much longer careers to even approach 100 rushing scores.

Brown was bigger, faster and stronger than most defenders of his era. His rushing TD number is not just high. It is historically dominant when adjusted for career length.

John Riggins

Career stats/accolades: 104 rushing TDs, 11,352 rushing yards, Super Bowl XVII MVP, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

John Riggins was built for short-yardage and postseason football. He ran with power, patience and a physical style that made him a perfect closer.

His Super Bowl XVII run is the signature moment, but the career touchdown total proves the whole résumé was strong. Washington trusted Riggins when games got heavy.

Shaun Alexander

Career stats/accolades: 100 rushing TDs, 9,453 rushing yards, 3 Pro Bowls, First-Team All-Pro, NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year.

Shaun Alexander’s peak was one of the best touchdown-scoring stretches by any running back. In 2005, he powered Seattle’s offense, won MVP and helped lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.

Alexander’s career was not as long as some players around him, but the rushing touchdown total is huge. Reaching exactly 100 rushing TDs puts him in a very exclusive club.

Marshall Faulk

Career stats/accolades: 100 rushing TDs, 12,279 rushing yards, 7 Pro Bowls, 3 First-Team All-Pro selections, NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl champion, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Marshall Faulk was a full offensive weapon. He is remembered for receiving brilliance, but his rushing touchdown total shows he was still a major ground-game finisher.

Faulk’s value came from stressing defenses in every way. He could run inside, bounce outside, split out wide and catch passes like a receiver. The 100 rushing TDs are only one piece of a massive offensive résumé.

Tier 5: 90+ Rushing TDs

Tier 5 includes Barry Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, Eric Dickerson, and Curtis Martin with 90+ career rushing touchdowns.

Tier 5 includes legendary runners who finished just short of the 100-rushing-touchdown club. There is speed, power, consistency and Hall of Fame production all over this group.

Barry Sanders

Career stats/accolades: 99 rushing TDs, 15,269 rushing yards, 10 Pro Bowls, 6 First-Team All-Pro selections, NFL MVP, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Barry Sanders finishing one rushing touchdown short of 100 feels strange, but it also fits his story. He retired early, still elite, and left fans wondering what the final number could have been.

Sanders was not a traditional goal-line hammer, but he could score from anywhere. His touchdowns often came from impossible cuts, broken angles and runs that looked dead before they became highlights.

Jerome Bettis

Career stats/accolades: 91 rushing TDs, 13,662 rushing yards, 6 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jerome Bettis was made for physical scoring situations. The Bus could move piles, control tempo and wear down defenses late in games.

Pittsburgh’s identity matched him perfectly. Bettis was not about flash. He was about force, and 91 rushing touchdowns show how valuable that force became near the goal line.

Franco Harris

Career stats/accolades: 91 rushing TDs, 12,120 rushing yards, 9 Pro Bowls, 4 Super Bowl titles, Super Bowl IX MVP, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Franco Harris was a major offensive piece of the Steelers’ 1970s dynasty. He gave Pittsburgh a reliable ground game, postseason production and the kind of toughness that matched the defense.

The Immaculate Reception is the famous moment, but Harris’ rushing touchdown total shows he was a consistent finisher for one of the greatest teams ever.

Eric Dickerson

Career stats/accolades: 90 rushing TDs, 13,259 rushing yards, 6 Pro Bowls, 5 First-Team All-Pro selections, NFL single-season rushing record holder, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Eric Dickerson is remembered most for yardage, but he also scored 90 rushing touchdowns. His long stride and breakaway speed made him a threat from anywhere on the field.

Dickerson’s peak was one of the greatest ever. Even if touchdowns are not the first stat people mention with him, the scoring total still belongs among the best in NFL history.

Curtis Martin

Career stats/accolades: 90 rushing TDs, 14,101 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, NFL rushing champion, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Curtis Martin built his case through consistency. He was steady, durable, smart and productive year after year.

Martin was not always the flashiest back in the league, but he rarely gave teams bad football. Reaching 90 rushing touchdowns is another reminder of how reliable his career really was.

Tier 6: 80+ Rushing TDs

Tier 6 includes Priest Holmes, Marshawn Lynch, Jim Taylor, Corey Dillon, Ottis Anderson, Frank Gore, and Edgerrin James with 80+ career rushing touchdowns.

Tier 6 is filled with strong touchdown résumés. Some players had short, explosive scoring peaks. Others built totals through durability and long careers.

Priest Holmes

Career stats/accolades: 86 rushing TDs, 8,172 rushing yards, 3 Pro Bowls, 3 First-Team All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year.

Priest Holmes had one of the most explosive scoring peaks by any running back. His Kansas City run was short compared with some legends, but the touchdown production was ridiculous.

Holmes was patient, quick, powerful near the goal line and perfect behind that Chiefs offensive line. His career total is impressive because so much of it came in a concentrated burst of dominance.

Marshawn Lynch

Career stats/accolades: 85 rushing TDs, 10,413 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, First-Team All-Pro selection, Super Bowl champion.

Marshawn Lynch turned power running into a personality. Beast Mode was violent, slippery and nearly impossible to tackle cleanly once he got momentum.

His Seattle peak helped define one of the best teams of the 2010s. The Beast Quake run is the signature highlight, but 85 rushing touchdowns show the full scoring résumé.

Jim Taylor

Career stats/accolades: 83 rushing TDs, 8,597 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, NFL MVP, 4 NFL championships, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Taylor was a bruising runner for Vince Lombardi’s Packers. He played with force, toughness and a no-nonsense style that fit Green Bay’s championship identity.

Taylor’s rushing touchdown total is strong for his era, and his role in a dynasty gives the résumé even more weight. He was one of the toughest finishers of the early Super Bowl period.

Corey Dillon

Career stats/accolades: 82 rushing TDs, 11,241 rushing yards, 4 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion.

Corey Dillon spent years producing on struggling Bengals teams before getting a championship chapter with the Patriots. He was powerful, explosive and better than his team context often allowed people to notice.

Dillon’s 82 rushing touchdowns show how dangerous he was as a physical feature back. His late-career New England run gave the résumé the winning moment it deserved.

Ottis Anderson

Career stats/accolades: 81 rushing TDs, 10,273 rushing yards, 2 Pro Bowls, 2 Super Bowl titles, Super Bowl XXV MVP.

Ottis Anderson had two different football lives: a big-production early career with the Cardinals and a championship-closing role with the Giants.

His Super Bowl XXV MVP run remains the most famous chapter, but the career touchdown total shows he was more than a late-career power back. Anderson was productive for a long time.

Frank Gore

Career stats/accolades: 81 rushing TDs, 16,000 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, one of the most durable running backs in NFL history.

Frank Gore’s touchdown total is not as high as his rushing yardage rank, but it still shows serious longevity. He kept earning carries across multiple teams and different stages of his career.

Gore’s game was built on vision, patience and contact balance. He was not always a flashy red-zone back, but staying productive long enough to score 81 rushing touchdowns is a major accomplishment.

Edgerrin James

Career stats/accolades: 80 rushing TDs, 12,246 rushing yards, 4 Pro Bowls, 2-time rushing champion, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Edgerrin James gave the Colts a complete back during the Peyton Manning era. He had vision, patience, receiving ability and enough toughness to handle real volume.

James sometimes gets overshadowed by the passing stars around him, but 80 rushing touchdowns and a Hall of Fame career make his ground-game value clear.

Tier 7: 75+ Rushing TDs

Tier 7 includes Josh Allen, Ricky Watters, Tony Dorsett, Pete Johnson, Cam Newton, and Clinton Portis with 75+ career rushing touchdowns.

Tier 7 still has major scoring careers. This tier is especially interesting because it includes two quarterbacks, Josh Allen and Cam Newton, alongside traditional running backs.

Josh Allen

Career stats/accolades: 79 rushing TDs, all-time quarterback rushing touchdown leader, NFL MVP, multiple Pro Bowls, Buffalo Bills franchise quarterback.

Josh Allen is the outlier on this list because he is not a running back. He is a quarterback who became one of the most dangerous goal-line runners in NFL history.

Allen’s size, power and short-yardage ability changed how Buffalo used the quarterback run game. After passing Cam Newton, his 79 rushing touchdowns already place him among historic rushers, not just historic quarterbacks.

Ricky Watters

Career stats/accolades: 78 rushing TDs, 10,643 rushing yards, 5 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion.

Ricky Watters was a versatile back who could run, catch and fit multiple offensive systems. He brought both rushing production and receiving value across a long career.

Watters does not always get the all-time attention his numbers deserve. Seventy-eight rushing touchdowns and more than 10,000 rushing yards make him a very complete back.

Tony Dorsett

Career stats/accolades: 77 rushing TDs, 12,739 rushing yards, 4 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tony Dorsett brought speed and big-play ability to the Cowboys’ backfield. He could hit a crease and turn it into a touchdown before the defense had time to adjust.

Dorsett’s rushing touchdown total is not as high as some power backs, but his career production and explosive style still make him one of the great running backs in league history.

Pete Johnson

Career stats/accolades: 76 rushing TDs, 5,626 rushing yards, 3 Pro Bowls, Cincinnati Bengals franchise touchdown standout.

Pete Johnson was a classic short-yardage power back. His yardage total does not match many names here, but his touchdown production absolutely belongs.

Johnson was especially valuable near the goal line, where Cincinnati trusted his size and power. This is a perfect example of why rushing touchdowns and rushing yards can tell different stories.

Cam Newton

Career stats/accolades: 75 rushing TDs, 5,628 rushing yards, NFL MVP, Offensive Rookie of the Year, 3 Pro Bowls, one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks ever.

Cam Newton changed quarterback rushing expectations. He was a full-size power runner with the ball in his hands, especially near the goal line.

Before Josh Allen passed him, Newton was the standard for quarterback rushing touchdowns. His MVP season in 2015 showed how devastating that rushing threat could be when paired with downfield passing and play-action stress.

Clinton Portis

Career stats/accolades: 75 rushing TDs, 9,923 rushing yards, 2 Pro Bowls, Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Clinton Portis had one of the best early-career rushing starts of the 2000s. He exploded in Denver, then remained productive in Washington with a heavier workload and more physical style.

Portis was fast, tough and willing to carry the offense. Seventy-five rushing touchdowns put him in strong company, even if injuries and workload kept his career from climbing even higher.

FAQ: Most Rushing TDs in NFL History

Who has the most rushing TDs in NFL history?

Emmitt Smith has the most rushing TDs in NFL history with 164 career rushing touchdowns.

Who is in Tier 1 of the most rushing TDs in NFL history tier list?

Tier 1 includes Emmitt Smith, who stands alone with 164 career rushing touchdowns.

Is this list based on career rushing touchdowns or single-season rushing touchdowns?

This list is based on career rushing touchdowns. The totals shown are all-time NFL career rushing touchdown totals, not single-season totals.

Who is second in career rushing touchdowns?

LaDainian Tomlinson is second in career rushing touchdowns with 145.

Where does Derrick Henry rank on this rushing TDs tier list?

Derrick Henry appears in Tier 3 with 122 career rushing touchdowns, ranking fourth all-time.

Which quarterback has the most rushing touchdowns?

Josh Allen has the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and appears in Tier 7 with 79 career rushing touchdowns.

Which quarterbacks appear on this rushing touchdown list?

Josh Allen and Cam Newton are the quarterbacks shown on this career rushing touchdown tier list.

Who are the players with at least 120 rushing touchdowns?

Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Marcus Allen, Derrick Henry and Adrian Peterson are shown with at least 120 career rushing touchdowns.

Why is Pete Johnson on the list despite lower rushing yards?

Pete Johnson appears because this list is based on rushing touchdowns, not rushing yards. He was a strong short-yardage and goal-line back, finishing with 76 rushing touchdowns.

What matters most in this tier list?

The tier placement is based on career rushing touchdown totals. The write-ups add context about era, role, peak dominance, goal-line usage, durability and overall résumé.

Conclusion

The most rushing TDs in NFL history list is a scoring leaderboard first. Emmitt Smith stands alone with 164 rushing touchdowns, while LaDainian Tomlinson is the only other player shown above 140. From there, Marcus Allen, Derrick Henry and Adrian Peterson form a powerful 120-plus tier.

The depth behind them is loaded too. Walter Payton, Jim Brown, John Riggins, Shaun Alexander, Marshall Faulk, Barry Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, Eric Dickerson, Curtis Martin, Priest Holmes, Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore all built rushing touchdown résumés that shaped NFL history in different ways.

Rushing touchdowns are special because they usually come through traffic, contact and short-yardage pressure. The players on this list did not just run well. They finished drives, carried offenses near the goal line and became permanent names in the NFL scoring record book.

If you want more all-time NFL rankings, you can also check out our best running backs of all-time rankings and our most rushing TDs in a single season tier list.

More NFL All-Time Rankings

For more NFL history content, check out our other all-time position rankings, franchise legend lists and historical tier lists. This rushing touchdown ranking is part of a larger NFL records series built around scoring, production, peak dominance and era context. You can also follow SOG Football on Instagram for more NFL rankings, debates and football history content.