With the new NFL season very much on the horizon where Kyler Murray is being backed by many to breakout with some serious rushing ability, we thought it would be a nice change of pace to take a look at those with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history.
Here goes a complete top 5 list of the NFL All-Time Rush Leaders.
Number 5. Walter Payton, 110
At number five on our list of the players with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history is Walter Payton with 110 rushing touchdowns throughout his career. He spent his 13 year long career as a member of the Chicago Bears and was officially admitted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame due to his excellence on the field alongside his many accolades.
Payton earned Pro Bowl honours nine times and was a five time All-Pro at his position. Nicknamed Sweetness, Payton consistently dominated at the running back position for years hence his impressive haul.
Number 4. Adrian Peterson, 118
Next up is a man that hasn’t even called time on his NFL career as yet; when you consider that, his haul of 118 rushing touchdowns is truly bonkers. He’s scored them for five different sides too. His first decade in the league were spent with the Minnesota Vikings, where he was nicknamed All Day.
After those years were finished, he spent a season with the Arizona Cardinals, a year with the New Orleans Saints, two years with the Washington Football Team and one year with the Detroit Lions. Given how he continues to battle against the odds of how long a running back should play, Peterson may well retire with enough rushing touchdowns to jump up this list.
Number 3. Marcus Allen, 123
Marcus Allen finished his career with 123 rushing touchdowns across two different teams. The Hall of Famer and two-time All-Pro selection spent the first 11 years of his career on the Oakland Raiders; there he recorded 79 touchdowns.
Eventually, he felt like he needed a change and spent the remaining five years of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs; it was a spell that saw him rack up a further 44 rushing touchdowns. Somewhat remarkably, Allen only able to make it to the Pro Bowl once after his sixth season in the league. It was his debut season with the Chiefs.
Number 2. LaDainian Tomlinson, 145
LT, as he is more commonly referred to, was one of the most explosive athletes that we have ever seen in the NFL. He is another player on this list that was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame already despite having a shorter than average career amongst the elite.
Tomlinson played 11 seasons in the NFL opting to retire at 32-years-old. All bar two of his seasons were with the San Diego Chargers; in that nine year spell he recorded 138 touchdowns.
That tally alone would have seen him sit second on our list of the players with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history. He wasn’t done though. A further two years with the NY Jets followed along with seven touchdowns and 1,200 rushing yards. In total Tomlinson earned five Pro Bowl nods and was a three time All-Pro.
Number 1. Emmitt Smith, 164
Topping our list is a record that is going to stand for a very, very long time. Emmitt Smith reached the end zone a whopping 164 times through the ground game. Smith was with the Dallas Cowboys for 13 successful years before ending his career as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
As you would expect, Smith is in the Hall of Fame and was able to get himself onto the Pro Bowl roster eight times throughout his legendary career. Nobody is going to be forgetting about Emmitt anytime soon that’s for sure. A true legend of the game and one the history books will remember fondly.
There you have it, the players with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history. Did any of these names surprised you?
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