Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Rushing Touchdown Leaders starts with Franco Harris, the franchise record-holder with 91 rushing touchdowns. For a team built on physical football, goal-line toughness and championship running backs, Harris still standing at No. 1 fits the Steelers identity perfectly.
Jerome Bettis ranks second with 78 rushing touchdowns, while Le’Veon Bell and Kordell Stewart are tied for third with 35 each. Terry Bradshaw, Rashard Mendenhall, Najee Harris, John Henry Johnson, Barry Foster and Dick Hoak round out a top 10 that includes Hall of Fame backs, mobile quarterbacks and several different Steelers eras.
For the full team index, visit our Pittsburgh Steelers all-time leaders and player rankings hub. This list uses regular-season rushing touchdowns recorded with the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise only.
How This Steelers Rushing Touchdown List Works
This list ranks the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time rushing touchdown leaders by regular-season rushing touchdowns recorded with the franchise. It does not include playoff rushing touchdowns, preseason stats or rushing touchdowns scored with another NFL team.
That matters for players like Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, Le’Veon Bell, Najee Harris, DeAngelo Williams and others who also had NFL chapters outside Pittsburgh. For this leaderboard, only their Steelers production counts.
Because there are ties, this ranking keeps the same structure as the main graphic: Le’Veon Bell and Kordell Stewart are tied for third, while John Henry Johnson and Barry Foster are tied for eighth. The expanded table near the bottom goes deeper than the graphic and includes the top 25 regular-season rushing touchdown leaders in Steelers history.
Last updated: July 2026. Najee Harris is no longer with Pittsburgh, so his 28 rushing touchdowns are currently a completed Steelers total unless he ever returns to the franchise.
Table of Contents
- How This Steelers Rushing Touchdown List Works
- 1. Franco Harris — 91 Rushing TDs
- 2. Jerome Bettis — 78 Rushing TDs
- 3. Le’Veon Bell — 35 Rushing TDs
- 3. Kordell Stewart — 35 Rushing TDs
- 5. Terry Bradshaw — 32 Rushing TDs
- 6. Rashard Mendenhall — 29 Rushing TDs
- 7. Najee Harris — 28 Rushing TDs
- 8. John Henry Johnson — 26 Rushing TDs
- 8. Barry Foster — 26 Rushing TDs
- 10. Dick Hoak — 25 Rushing TDs
- Biggest Takeaways
- Rushing TDs vs. Steelers Backfield Legacy
- Full Ranking Table
- FAQ
- Conclusion
- More Steelers and NFL Rankings
1. Franco Harris — 91 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1972–1983 with Pittsburgh, franchise-record 91 rushing touchdowns, franchise-record 11,950 rushing yards, nine Pro Bowls, multiple All-Pro selections, four Super Bowl championships and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.
Franco Harris is the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time rushing touchdown leader with 91. His scoring production is one of the clearest examples of how important he was to Pittsburgh’s dynasty.
Harris was not just a yardage back. He finished drives, handled pressure and gave the Steelers a reliable scoring threat near the goal line. In a franchise built around toughness, he became the perfect offensive centerpiece.
His 91 rushing touchdowns still stand as the team record, and his four Super Bowl rings make the number even stronger. Harris owns the rushing touchdown crown and one of the greatest legacies in Steelers history.
2. Jerome Bettis — 78 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1996–2005 with Pittsburgh, 78 rushing touchdowns, 10,571 rushing yards, multiple Pro Bowls, All-Pro honors, Super Bowl XL champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.
Jerome Bettis ranks second in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 78. “The Bus” was built for short-yardage football, and Pittsburgh used him exactly that way.
Bettis wore defenses down with power, balance and patience. When the Steelers needed tough yards late in games or near the goal line, he was one of the most trusted backs in football.
His Steelers career ended with a Super Bowl XL championship, giving his Pittsburgh story a perfect finish. Bettis did not catch Franco Harris, but he gave the franchise another Hall of Fame rushing touchdown résumé.
3. Le’Veon Bell — 35 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 2013–2017 with Pittsburgh, 35 rushing touchdowns, 5,336 rushing yards, 2,660 receiving yards, three Pro Bowls and multiple first-team All-Pro selections.
Le’Veon Bell is tied for third in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 35. At his peak, he was one of the most complete running backs in the NFL.
Bell’s patient running style made him unique. He waited behind blocks, forced defenders to commit and then found daylight with quick acceleration.
His receiving ability made him even more valuable, but his 35 rushing touchdowns show that he was still a true scoring threat on the ground. Even with a shorter Steelers run, Bell finished near the top of the franchise rushing touchdown list.
3. Kordell Stewart — 35 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1995–2002 with Pittsburgh, 35 rushing touchdowns, 2,561 rushing yards, 13,328 passing yards, 70 passing touchdowns and one Pro Bowl selection.
Kordell Stewart is tied with Le’Veon Bell for third in Steelers career rushing touchdowns. That is rare because Stewart was a quarterback, not a traditional running back.
His “Slash” role made him one of the most unique offensive players in franchise history. He could throw, run, line up at receiver and create plays in ways most quarterbacks of his era could not.
Stewart’s 35 rushing touchdowns show how dangerous he was near the goal line and in open space. He remains one of the most important dual-threat players in Steelers history.
5. Terry Bradshaw — 32 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1970–1983 with Pittsburgh, 32 rushing touchdowns, 212 passing touchdowns, 27,989 passing yards, four Super Bowl championships, two Super Bowl MVPs, 1978 NFL MVP and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback.
Terry Bradshaw ranks fifth in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 32. His passing and championship legacy are the headline, but his rushing value was real.
Bradshaw was physical, tough and willing to run when the situation called for it. In the 1970s, quarterbacks were not protected the way they are today, which makes his rushing touchdown total even more impressive.
His 32 rushing touchdowns add another layer to a Hall of Fame career already defined by four Super Bowl wins and some of the biggest throws in Steelers history.
6. Rashard Mendenhall — 29 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 2008–2012 with Pittsburgh, 29 rushing touchdowns, 3,549 rushing yards and one Super Bowl appearance.
Rashard Mendenhall ranks sixth in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 29. His Pittsburgh peak came during the late 2000s and early 2010s, when he became the team’s primary back.
Mendenhall had power, burst and enough versatility to carry a heavy workload. His best season came in 2010, when he scored 13 rushing touchdowns and helped Pittsburgh reach Super Bowl XLV.
He does not rank as high in rushing yards as some other Steelers backs, but his touchdown production keeps him firmly inside the franchise top 10.
7. Najee Harris — 28 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 2021–2024 with Pittsburgh, 28 rushing touchdowns, 4,312 rushing yards, 1,149 receiving yards, 180 receptions, one Pro Bowl and four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Najee Harris ranks seventh in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 28. He reached that number in only four seasons with Pittsburgh, which shows how quickly he climbed the franchise leaderboard.
Harris was a durable, physical back who handled a heavy workload every season. He was not always explosive, but he was reliable, available and strong enough to convert tough carries near the goal line.
His Steelers run is now complete unless he returns later in his career, but 28 rushing touchdowns and four straight 1,000-yard seasons gave him a strong place in Pittsburgh’s rushing history.
8. John Henry Johnson — 26 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1960–1965 with Pittsburgh, 26 rushing touchdowns, 4,381 rushing yards, multiple Pro Bowls with the Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback.
John Henry Johnson is tied for eighth in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 26. His Pittsburgh years came before the franchise’s Super Bowl dynasty, but his production still holds up.
Johnson was a powerful runner and one of the Steelers’ earliest great rushing threats. In a lower-volume offensive era, he gave Pittsburgh a legitimate feature back.
His 26 rushing touchdowns, strong yardage total and Hall of Fame résumé make him one of the most important early runners in franchise history.
8. Barry Foster — 26 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1990–1994 with Pittsburgh, 26 rushing touchdowns, 3,943 rushing yards, two Pro Bowls and 1992 first-team All-Pro selection.
Barry Foster is tied with John Henry Johnson at 26 rushing touchdowns. His Steelers career was shorter than most backs on this list, but his peak was outstanding.
Foster’s 1992 season is one of the greatest rushing seasons in Steelers history. He ran for 1,690 yards that year and became a first-team All-Pro.
Injuries limited his long-term total, but his touchdown production and peak season keep him inside the Steelers top 10.
10. Dick Hoak — 25 Rushing TDs
Pittsburgh Steelers Stats & Accolades: 1961–1970 with Pittsburgh, 25 rushing touchdowns, 3,965 rushing yards and 1,452 receiving yards.
Dick Hoak rounds out the Steelers top 10 in career rushing touchdowns with 25. His playing career came before Pittsburgh became a dynasty, but his full Steelers legacy lasted for decades.
Hoak was a productive runner and receiver during the 1960s. After his playing career, he became a longtime Steelers assistant coach and helped shape future Pittsburgh running backs.
His 25 rushing touchdowns keep him just ahead of Willie Parker for the final spot on the top 10 leaderboard.
Biggest Takeaways From the Steelers Rushing TD List
The biggest takeaway is that Franco Harris still owns the franchise rushing touchdown record. His 91 rushing touchdowns remain the standard for Steelers runners, and that record has survived multiple eras of Pittsburgh football.
The second takeaway is Jerome Bettis’ gap over everyone except Franco. Bettis finished with 78 rushing touchdowns, far ahead of the rest of the pack and perfectly aligned with his identity as one of the best power backs in NFL history.
The third takeaway is how many quarterbacks appear on the deeper leaderboard. Kordell Stewart and Terry Bradshaw both rank inside the top five, while Ben Roethlisberger also makes the expanded top 25. That shows how often Pittsburgh quarterbacks have mattered near the goal line, especially in eras where designed runs and sneaks were a bigger part of the offense.
Rushing TDs vs. Steelers Backfield Legacy
Rushing touchdowns are not the same thing as ranking the best Pittsburgh Steelers running backs of all-time, but they tell an important part of the story. This leaderboard rewards goal-line finishers, short-yardage power and players trusted to close drives.
That is why Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis are so far ahead of everyone else. Both backs combined volume, longevity and red-zone trust, which is the perfect formula for dominating a rushing touchdown leaderboard.
It also explains why this list looks different from the Steelers all-time rushing yards leaders. Willie Parker ranks much higher in rushing yards than rushing touchdowns, while Kordell Stewart and Terry Bradshaw rank much higher here because of their quarterback rushing value.
The cleanest way to read this list is as a scoring-history snapshot. Harris is the dynasty standard, Bettis is the modern power-back standard, Bell is the peak-versatility standout and Stewart remains the rare quarterback who crashed a franchise rushing touchdown leaderboard.
Full Ranking Table: Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Rushing Touchdown Leaders
Note: This table is sorted by regular-season rushing touchdowns with the Steelers franchise only.
| Rank | Player | Position | Steelers Years | Rushing TDs | Rushing Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franco Harris | RB | 1972–1983 | 91 | 11,950 |
| 2 | Jerome Bettis | RB | 1996–2005 | 78 | 10,571 |
| 3 | Le’Veon Bell | RB | 2013–2017 | 35 | 5,336 |
| 3 | Kordell Stewart | QB | 1995–2002 | 35 | 2,561 |
| 5 | Terry Bradshaw | QB | 1970–1983 | 32 | 2,257 |
| 6 | Rashard Mendenhall | RB | 2008–2012 | 29 | 3,549 |
| 7 | Najee Harris | RB | 2021–2024 | 28 | 4,312 |
| 8 | John Henry Johnson | FB | 1960–1965 | 26 | 4,381 |
| 8 | Barry Foster | RB | 1990–1994 | 26 | 3,943 |
| 10 | Dick Hoak | RB | 1961–1970 | 25 | 3,965 |
| 11 | Willie Parker | RB | 2004–2009 | 24 | 5,378 |
| 12 | Rocky Bleier | RB | 1968, 1970–1980 | 23 | 3,865 |
| 13 | Walter Abercrombie | RB | 1982–1987 | 22 | 3,343 |
| 13 | James Conner | RB | 2017–2020 | 22 | 2,302 |
| 15 | John Fuqua | RB | 1970–1976 | 21 | 2,942 |
| 15 | Merril Hoge | RB | 1987–1993 | 21 | 3,115 |
| 17 | Frank Pollard | RB | 1980–1988 | 20 | 3,989 |
| 17 | Ben Roethlisberger | QB | 2004–2021 | 20 | 1,373 |
| 19 | Sidney Thornton | RB | 1977–1982 | 18 | 1,512 |
| 20 | Fran Rogel | FB | 1950–1957 | 17 | 3,271 |
| 21 | Lynn Chandnois | HB | 1950–1956 | 16 | 1,934 |
| 21 | Bam Morris | RB | 1994–1995 | 16 | 1,395 |
| 21 | Jerry Shipkey | LB/FB | 1948–1952 | 16 | 310 |
| 24 | Tom Tracy | RB | 1958–1963 | 15 | 2,717 |
| 24 | DeAngelo Williams | RB | 2015–2016 | 15 | 1,250 |
FAQ: Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Rushing Touchdown Leaders
Who has the most rushing touchdowns in Pittsburgh Steelers history?
Franco Harris has the most rushing touchdowns in Pittsburgh Steelers history with 91 regular-season rushing TDs.
Who is second in Steelers career rushing touchdowns?
Jerome Bettis ranks second in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 78 rushing TDs.
Who is third in Pittsburgh Steelers all-time rushing touchdowns?
Le’Veon Bell and Kordell Stewart are tied for third with 35 rushing touchdowns each.
Where does Terry Bradshaw rank in Steelers rushing touchdowns?
Terry Bradshaw ranks fifth in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 32 rushing TDs.
Where does Najee Harris rank in Steelers rushing touchdowns?
Najee Harris ranks seventh in Steelers career rushing touchdowns with 28 rushing TDs.
Is Najee Harris still with the Pittsburgh Steelers?
No. Najee Harris left Pittsburgh after the 2024 season, so his 28 rushing touchdowns are currently a completed Steelers total unless he returns to the franchise.
Which Steelers quarterbacks are in the rushing touchdown top 25?
Kordell Stewart, Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger are the quarterbacks inside the Steelers top 25 rushing touchdown leaderboard.
Are playoff rushing touchdowns included in this Steelers ranking?
No. This ranking uses regular-season rushing touchdowns with the Steelers franchise only. Playoff rushing touchdowns are not included.
Conclusion: Franco Harris Still Owns the Steelers Rushing TD Crown
Franco Harris remains the Pittsburgh Steelers all-time rushing touchdown leader with 91. Jerome Bettis ranks second with 78, while Le’Veon Bell and Kordell Stewart are tied for third with 35 each.
The leaderboard shows the different ways Pittsburgh has created rushing touchdowns. Harris and Bettis brought Hall of Fame power, Bell brought patience and versatility, while Stewart and Bradshaw added rare quarterback rushing value.
Najee Harris is the newest top-10 name after scoring 28 rushing touchdowns from 2021 through 2024. But the franchise rushing touchdown crown still belongs to Franco Harris, one of the defining players of Steelers football.
More Steelers and NFL Rankings
For the full franchise picture, visit our Pittsburgh Steelers all-time leaders and player rankings hub and our best Pittsburgh Steelers players of all-time ranking.
You can also read our related Steelers pages for best Pittsburgh Steelers running backs of all-time, Pittsburgh Steelers all-time rushing yards leaders, Pittsburgh Steelers all-time passing yards leaders and Pittsburgh Steelers all-time receiving yards leaders.
For broader NFL history, check out our best NFL running backs of all-time ranking, the NFL team all-time player rankings hub and our NFL rankings and football history page. You can also follow SOG Football on Instagram for more NFL rankings, debates and football history graphics.
