Lamar Jackson is the best running quarterbacks in NFL history. He owns the career and single-season quarterback rushing records while remaining one of the NFL’s most efficient high-volume runners. Michael Vick ranks second as the position’s most explosive open-field runner, while Cam Newton established the standard for power running at quarterback.
This is not simply a list of the quarterbacks with the most rushing yards. The ranking also considers rushing touchdowns, efficiency, designed-run value, scrambling ability, era, playoff performance and how dramatically each player changed the way defenses approached the position.
For a ranking based strictly on career production, see the quarterbacks with the most rushing yards in NFL history. For a broader look at the active generation, compare the best quarterbacks in the NFL today.
How We Ranked the Best Running Quarterbacks
This ranking considers regular-season rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards per carry, peak production, longevity, playoff performances and overall offensive impact. Passing ability also matters because quarterbacks who remain dangerous through the air create more space for designed runs and scrambles.
Designed runs, open-field scrambling, short-yardage power and mobility behind the line of scrimmage are different skills. Cam Newton and Josh Allen overwhelmed defenders with size and strength. Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson could turn a narrow opening into an explosive play. Fran Tarkenton and Russell Wilson often used their legs to extend passing plays before deciding whether to cross the line of scrimmage.
Era also matters. Modern quarterbacks benefit from option concepts and systems specifically designed to create favorable rushing lanes. Earlier players often accumulated their yards after protection broke down.
Official NFL statistics count kneel-downs as rushing attempts and negative rushing yards. That slightly lowers the career totals and yards-per-carry averages of quarterbacks who frequently ended games in victory formation.
Unless a postseason performance is specifically identified, all statistics are regular-season career totals through the 2025 season.
Honorable Mentions and Toughest Cuts
Bobby Douglass produced one of the great early quarterback rushing seasons when he ran for 968 yards in 1972. That remained the single-season quarterback record until Michael Vick surpassed it in 2006.
Donovan McNabb entered the NFL as a legitimate dual-threat weapon and finished with 3,459 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns. His mobility remained important to Philadelphia’s offense even after he developed into a more conventional pocket passer.
Kordell Stewart offered such unusual versatility that Pittsburgh initially used him across several positions. Once established at quarterback, his combination of designed runs, improvisation and goal-line production made him one of the defining dual threats of the 1990s.
Tobin Rote deserves more attention in the history of mobile quarterbacks. Playing primarily during the 1950s and early 1960s, Rote accumulated more than 3,000 rushing yards and scored 37 rushing touchdowns.
Colin Kaepernick never accumulated the regular-season career totals needed for the top 10, but his playoff peak was exceptional. He rushed for a quarterback postseason-record 181 yards against Green Bay in January 2013 and helped San Francisco reach Super Bowl XLVII.
Justin Fields rushed for 1,143 yards with Chicago in 2022, the second-highest single-season total by a quarterback. His combination of acceleration and long-distance scoring ability places him among the most dangerous pure runners the position has seen.
Kyler Murray has the speed and open-field creativity to eventually enter the top 10. His best rushing season came in 2020, when he gained 819 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.
Jayden Daniels immediately entered the conversation by rushing for 891 yards as a rookie in 2024. He will need more seasons before challenging the established top 10, but his early combination of efficiency, patience and open-field speed is historically promising.
Steve McNair ranks No. 10 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
10. Steve McNair
Career Stats & Accolades: 3,590 rushing yards, 37 rushing touchdowns, 5.4 yards per carry, 31,304 passing yards, 174 passing touchdowns, 2003 NFL co-MVP, three Pro Bowls and one Second-Team All-Pro selection.
Steve McNair ran with the physicality that defined the Tennessee teams of his era. He could escape the first defender, lower his shoulder at the sticks and absorb hits that would have ended plays for most quarterbacks.
His career totals do not fully capture how often his mobility rescued an offense built around difficult third downs and tightly contested games. McNair rushed for at least 400 yards in four of his first five seasons as Tennessee’s primary starter, including a career-high 674 yards in 1997.
That toughness carried into the postseason. McNair helped guide Tennessee to Super Bowl XXXIV and rushed for 64 yards in the championship game, repeatedly extending plays against an aggressive St. Louis defense.
McNair eventually became an MVP-caliber pocket passer, but defenses could never forget about his legs. His combination of strength, toughness and improvisation earns him the final position in the top 10 and a prominent place among the best Tennessee Titans players of all-time.
Jalen Hurts ranks No. 9 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
9. Jalen Hurts
Career Stats & Accolades: 3,554 rushing yards, 63 rushing touchdowns, 4.6 yards per carry, 17,891 passing yards, 110 passing touchdowns, Super Bowl LIX MVP, three Pro Bowls and one Second-Team All-Pro selection.
Philadelphia turned Jalen Hurts’ lower-body strength into the most reliable short-yardage quarterback package in football. Reducing his case to the Brotherly Shove, however, misses much of what makes him dangerous.
Hurts can keep the ball on zone reads, escape through the interior and punish man coverage when defenders turn their backs. His 2022 season showed the complete package: 760 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns and an MVP-caliber performance that carried into the playoffs.
In Super Bowl LVII, Hurts rushed for 70 yards and became the first quarterback to score three rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl. Two years later, his running remained central to Philadelphia’s championship offense as he earned Super Bowl LIX MVP.
Many of his touchdowns come from one-yard situations, but consistently converting those plays is a genuine skill. Hurts’ balance, leverage and leg drive give the Eagles an extra blocker and force defenses to account for every gap near the goal line.
Hurts is already one of the most productive rushing scorers ever at the position. More longevity could push him several places higher among the best Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks of all-time.
Russell Wilson ranks No. 8 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
8. Russell Wilson
Career Stats & Accolades: 5,568 rushing yards, 31 rushing touchdowns, 5.3 yards per carry, 46,966 passing yards, 353 passing touchdowns, Super Bowl champion, 10 Pro Bowls and one Second-Team All-Pro selection.
Russell Wilson stepped away from football in 2026 after becoming the first player in NFL history to surpass both 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards. That combination captures why his mobility was so valuable, even though Seattle did not build its offense around a high volume of designed quarterback runs.
Wilson was at his most dangerous when the original play broke down. He could spin away from pressure, reset outside the pocket and either find a receiver deep or take the available rushing lane. Defenders had to choose between pursuing him and maintaining coverage for several extra seconds.
His most productive rushing season came in 2014, when he gained 849 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per attempt. Seattle used zone-read concepts more frequently that year, giving Wilson opportunities to attack vacated edges alongside Marshawn Lynch.
Wilson’s legs also amplified one of the best deep balls of his generation. Safeties could not immediately abandon coverage when he escaped because he remained capable of completing a pass from nearly anywhere behind the line.
He was never the same interior running threat as Cam Newton or Josh Allen, but few quarterbacks used mobility more effectively to create explosive passing plays. That ability was a major part of his rise among the best Seattle Seahawks players of all-time.
Fran Tarkenton ranks No. 7 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
7. Fran Tarkenton
Career Stats & Accolades: 3,674 rushing yards, 32 rushing touchdowns, 5.4 yards per carry, 47,003 passing yards, 342 passing touchdowns, 1975 NFL MVP, nine Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro selection.
Fran Tarkenton was scrambling before NFL offenses had option packages designed to help quarterbacks run. His movement was less structured than that of today’s dual threats, but it created the same defensive panic.
Tarkenton routinely reversed direction behind the line, escaped larger pass rushers and bought enough time for coverage to collapse. Those extended plays became such a defining part of his game that he earned the nickname “The Scrambler.”
The historical setting strengthens his case. Quarterbacks received far less protection during Tarkenton’s career, while offensive coordinators generally treated running as an emergency response rather than a weapon to feature. He still accumulated 3,674 rushing yards and averaged 5.4 yards per attempt.
Tarkenton was also far more than an entertaining improviser. He retired as the NFL’s career leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, won the 1975 MVP award and led Minnesota to three Super Bowl appearances.
Modern dual-threat quarterbacks operate within offenses that have learned how to maximize their athleticism. Tarkenton helped prove that quarterback movement could become an offensive advantage in the first place.
Steve Young ranks No. 6 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
6. Steve Young
Career Stats & Accolades: 4,239 rushing yards, 43 rushing touchdowns, 5.9 yards per carry, 33,124 passing yards, 232 passing touchdowns, two NFL MVPs, one Super Bowl MVP, seven Pro Bowls, three First-Team All-Pro selections and three Second-Team All-Pro selections.
Steve Young has the strongest passing résumé of anyone in this top 10, but his 4,239 rushing yards were not incidental production. He had the acceleration to reach the edge, the balance to survive contact and an excellent sense of when coverage had left space underneath.
Young averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in 13 of his 15 NFL seasons. His 43 rushing touchdowns are particularly impressive because San Francisco did not use him as a constant goal-line battering ram.
His mobility fit perfectly within the 49ers’ timing-based offense. When the initial progression was covered, Young could escape without surrendering the possibility of a completion. Defenders closing too aggressively risked allowing a throw behind them, while hesitant defenders gave him room to run.
Young’s 49-yard touchdown against Minnesota in 1988 remains one of the defining quarterback runs in NFL history. He avoided several defenders, stumbled without going down and dragged the final tackler into the end zone.
Several quarterbacks produced more raw rushing yardage, but almost nobody combined Hall of Fame passing with this level of rushing efficiency. Young ranks prominently among both the best quarterbacks ever and the greatest San Francisco 49ers players.
Randall Cunningham ranks No. 5 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
5. Randall Cunningham
Career Stats & Accolades: 4,928 rushing yards, 35 rushing touchdowns, 6.4 yards per carry, 29,979 passing yards, 207 passing touchdowns, four Pro Bowls, one First-Team All-Pro selection and two Second-Team All-Pro selections.
Randall Cunningham offered a preview of what the position would eventually become. At 6-foot-4, he combined long strides, instant acceleration and rare change-of-direction ability with one of the strongest arms of his era.
His 1990 season established a new standard for dual-threat quarterback play. Cunningham rushed for 942 yards and averaged 8.0 yards per attempt while also throwing for 3,466 yards. He finished second in MVP voting and came within 26 yards of Bobby Douglass’ existing single-season quarterback rushing record.
Those numbers came before spread formations and option-heavy quarterback run games became common. Cunningham frequently had to create his own rushing opportunities after the original play broke down.
His athleticism produced plays that did not resemble anything else in the league. Cunningham once escaped what appeared to be a certain safety against Buffalo, reset in his own end zone and launched a deep touchdown pass.
The later stage of his career also matters. Cunningham returned from a brief retirement and became a First-Team All-Pro pocket passer with Minnesota in 1998. His evolution showed that his early success was never based exclusively on athleticism.
Josh Allen ranks No. 4 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
4. Josh Allen
Career Stats & Accolades: 4,721 rushing yards, 79 rushing touchdowns, 5.4 yards per carry, 30,102 passing yards, 220 passing touchdowns, 2024 NFL MVP, four Pro Bowls and two Second-Team All-Pro selections.
Josh Allen combines the running strength of a short-yardage back with the arm talent of a traditional franchise quarterback. Defenses cannot treat him as either one or the other because Buffalo can turn the same formation into a power run, scramble or deep pass.
Allen has never finished a season with fewer than six rushing touchdowns. He has crossed the 700-yard mark multiple times and became the NFL’s career leader in quarterback rushing touchdowns during the 2025 season.
Unlike players whose touchdown production is concentrated almost entirely at the goal line, Allen threatens defenses at every level. He can escape pressure, hurdle defensive backs, run through arm tackles and carry defenders across the line to gain.
His playoff rushing has been especially valuable. When coverage tightens and easy completions disappear, Buffalo can use Allen as its most physically imposing ball carrier. His postseason rushing totals already rank among the best ever by a quarterback.
Allen’s aggressive style exposes him to more contact than Jackson typically absorbs, but that physicality is also what separates him from other mobile quarterbacks. No player has paired this much quarterback rushing power with an arm capable of attacking every part of the field. That combination already places him high among the best Buffalo Bills players of all-time.
Cam Newton ranks No. 3 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
3. Cam Newton
Career Stats & Accolades: 5,628 rushing yards, 75 rushing touchdowns, 5.0 yards per carry, 32,382 passing yards, 194 passing touchdowns, 2015 NFL MVP, three Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro selection.
Cam Newton changed the mathematics of short-yardage football. At approximately 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, he gave Carolina a goal-line runner who could take the snap directly without sacrificing a blocker or revealing where the play was going.
The impact was immediate. Newton rushed for 706 yards and a then-quarterback-record 14 touchdowns as a rookie in 2011. He added at least 500 rushing yards in each of his first five seasons and reached double-digit rushing touchdowns three times.
His 2015 MVP season represented the peak of the formula. Newton accounted for 45 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, led Carolina to a 15-1 record and carried the Panthers to Super Bowl 50. Option runs, quarterback power and deep passing all emerged from similar formations, leaving defenses without a comfortable answer.
Newton was also more agile than his size suggested. He could escape the pocket, accelerate past linebackers and finish runs through defensive backs. Near the goal line, however, his willingness to become the hammer made him truly unique.
Allen and Hurts have continued the power-running tradition, but Newton established the blueprint. His 75 rushing touchdowns stood as the quarterback record until Allen surpassed him in 2025.
Michael Vick ranks No. 2 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
2. Michael Vick
Career Stats & Accolades: 6,109 rushing yards, 36 rushing touchdowns, 7.0 yards per carry, 22,464 passing yards, 133 passing touchdowns, 2010 Comeback Player of the Year and four Pro Bowls.
Michael Vick was the fastest quarterback the NFL had ever seen. He did not merely escape defenders. He reached top speed before they could adjust their pursuit angles and could outrun defensive backs once he reached the open field.
Vick became the first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when he gained 1,039 in 2006. His 8.4 yards per attempt that year illustrates how quickly an ordinary passing play could become an explosive run.
The career average is even more remarkable. Vick gained 7.0 yards per rushing attempt across 13 seasons, the highest mark among the major high-volume rushing quarterbacks. Kneel-downs and his less productive late-career seasons are included in that figure.
His Atlanta years demonstrated unprecedented raw athleticism, while his 2010 season with Philadelphia showed how dangerous he could become within a more complete passing offense. Vick threw for 3,018 yards, rushed for 676 and accounted for 30 touchdowns in only 12 games.
Vick’s influence belongs in the discussion as well. He changed what coaches believed was possible at quarterback and inspired a generation of mobile players who followed him. Cunningham opened the door, but Vick made the running quarterback one of the league’s biggest attractions.
Jackson eventually surpassed his career rushing record, but Vick remains the strongest choice for the most explosive pure runner the position has produced. His peak made him one of the most electrifying players in Atlanta Falcons history and an obvious inclusion among the fastest NFL players ever.
Lamar Jackson ranks No. 1 among the best running quarterbacks in NFL history.
1. Lamar Jackson
Career Stats & Accolades: 6,522 rushing yards, 35 rushing touchdowns, 6.0 yards per carry, 22,608 passing yards, 187 passing touchdowns, two NFL MVPs, four Pro Bowls and three First-Team All-Pro selections.
Lamar Jackson has produced the most complete rushing résumé of any quarterback in NFL history. His 6,522 regular-season rushing yards are the career quarterback record, his 1,206 yards in 2019 remain the single-season mark, and he has maintained elite efficiency while handling unprecedented volume.
His first full season as Baltimore’s starter immediately changed the standard. Jackson rushed for 1,206 yards in 2019, breaking Vick’s single-season quarterback record, while also leading the league with 36 passing touchdowns. He became only the second unanimous MVP in NFL history.
That season was not a temporary athletic peak. Jackson has continued to produce as both a designed runner and scrambler while developing into a more accomplished pocket passer. His second MVP award confirmed his ability to lead an elite offense beyond the original version of Baltimore’s scheme.
What distinguishes Jackson from Vick is his sustained control of the entire running game. Baltimore can use option concepts, quarterback counters, draws and traditional handoffs that force one defender into an impossible decision. Even when Jackson does not carry the ball, his presence creates cleaner rushing lanes for teammates.
His running style is also unusually efficient at avoiding unnecessary punishment. Jackson rarely seeks direct contact. He manipulates pursuit angles, changes speeds and reaches open space before defenders can square him up.
Newton was the superior power runner. Vick may have possessed greater straight-line explosiveness. Allen has scored more rushing touchdowns. Jackson, however, combines historic volume, elite efficiency, designed-run value, improvisational ability and MVP-level passing better than anyone.
That complete body of work makes Lamar Jackson the best running quarterback in NFL history and one of the greatest Baltimore Ravens players ever.
Best Running Quarterbacks in NFL History: Complete Ranking and Statistics
Statistics are regular-season career totals through the 2025 season. The order reflects the complete ranking rather than rushing yards alone, and Rush Avg. means yards per rushing attempt.
| Rank | Player | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Rush Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamar Jackson | 6,522 | 35 | 6.0 |
| 2 | Michael Vick | 6,109 | 36 | 7.0 |
| 3 | Cam Newton | 5,628 | 75 | 5.0 |
| 4 | Josh Allen | 4,721 | 79 | 5.4 |
| 5 | Randall Cunningham | 4,928 | 35 | 6.4 |
| 6 | Steve Young | 4,239 | 43 | 5.9 |
| 7 | Fran Tarkenton | 3,674 | 32 | 5.4 |
| 8 | Russell Wilson | 5,568 | 31 | 5.3 |
| 9 | Jalen Hurts | 3,554 | 63 | 4.6 |
| 10 | Steve McNair | 3,590 | 37 | 5.4 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best running quarterback in NFL history?
Lamar Jackson is the best running quarterback in NFL history. He owns the regular-season career and single-season quarterback rushing records, averages 6.0 yards per attempt and has won two NFL MVP awards.
Which quarterback has the most career rushing yards?
Lamar Jackson has the most regular-season rushing yards by a quarterback with 6,522 through the 2025 season. He surpassed Michael Vick’s previous record during the 2024 season.
Which quarterback has the most career rushing touchdowns?
Josh Allen holds the regular-season career record with 79 quarterback rushing touchdowns through the 2025 season. Cam Newton previously held the record with 75.
Who was a better runner, Lamar Jackson or Michael Vick?
Michael Vick averaged more yards per attempt and has a strong argument as the more explosive open-field athlete. Jackson ranks higher because he has accumulated more rushing yards, owns the single-season record and has sustained his production as the centerpiece of an MVP-level offense.
Who is the greatest power-running quarterback?
Cam Newton is the greatest power-running quarterback in NFL history. His size, short-yardage effectiveness and 75 career rushing touchdowns established the blueprint later followed by Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Final Verdict: Lamar Jackson Is the Best Running Quarterback Ever
The deciding factor is how thoroughly Lamar Jackson controls a running game before and after the snap. His threat changes pursuit angles on handoffs, creates favorable reads on option plays and still gives Baltimore an elite scrambler when the called play breaks down.
Vick remains the open-field standard and Newton remains the power-running standard. Jackson ranks first because he combines both kinds of stress with record production, sustained efficiency and MVP-level passing.
For the other side of quarterback rushing history, see the complete leaderboard of the quarterbacks with the most career rushing touchdowns. Follow @sogfootball on Instagram for more NFL rankings, graphics and historical debates.
