The 2024 NFL season has been the year of the running game. Through six weeks, NFL teams are averaging 4.5 yards per carry for just the second time in history, the first coming in 2022. Teams are averaging 121.7 rushing yards per game – the most since 1987.
As the ground game makes a comeback, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry leads the way. The Ravens running back has 704 rushing yards through six games, nearly 100 more than San Francisco’s Jordan Mason in second. Those two are the only running backs to clear 500 yards through Week 6.
Henry’s finding the end zone as well with eight rushing touchdowns, the most through six games in NFL history. Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson holds the NFL single-season rushing touchdown record with 28 in 2006.
Can Henry break the record? Here’s how his chances look to make scoring history in 2024.
Can Derrick Henry break the rushing TD record?
At his current rate, no. Henry is on pace for 23 touchdowns this season, good enough for sixth all-time. He’d be behind:
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Tomlinson (28 in 2006)
Shaun Alexander (27 in 2005)
Priest Holmes (27 in 2003)
Emmitt Smith (25 in 2005)
John Riggins (24 in 1983)
Tomlinson had just seven rushing touchdowns through six games in his record-setting season.
Henry would need to score 20 rushing touchdowns over the remaining 11 games to equal Tomlinson’s record. Of those 11 games, three come against top-10 rushing defenses: Pittsburgh (twice) and the Los Angeles Chargers. Only one game is against a bottom-10 rushing defense, Cincinnati in Week 10.
LaDainian Tomlinson 2006 season stats
Tomlinson won NFL MVP honors in 2006 behind a career year. His regular season totals were:
Rushing: 348 carries, 1,815 yards, 28 touchdowns
Receiving: 56 catches, 508 yards, three touchdowns
Passing: 2 of 3 for 20 yards and two touchdowns
His 33 total touchdowns that season remains a single-season record for non-quarterbacks in NFL history.
After scoring just nine total touchdowns over the first six games, Tomlinson turned things up. He scored 24 total touchdowns (21 rushing, two receiving, one passing) in the next nine games to break the single-season record. Even though he was scoreless in the final two weeks of the regular season, he had the best scoring year by a running back in NFL history.
Derrick Henry vs. LaDainian Tomlinson career stats
Henry is in his ninth season in the NFL. Tomlinson played in 11: nine with the Chargers and two with the New York Jets. Here’s how they compare heading into Week 7’s ‘MNF’ when the Ravens take the field:
Derrick Henry
Carries: 2,149
Rushing yards: 10,206
Rushing touchdowns: 98
Receptions: 161
Receiving yards: 1,507
Receiving touchdowns: 4
Total yards per game: 93.7
Fumbles lost: 18
LaDainian Tomlinson
Carries: 3,174
Rushing yards: 13,684
Rushing touchdowns: 145
Receptions: 624
Receiving yards: 4,772
Receiving touchdowns: 17
Total yards per game: 108.6
Fumbles lost: 31
Henry is the active NFL career leader in those rushing categories.
Henry is 31st in career rushing yards and 11th in career rushing touchdowns in NFL history. If he finishes the season in line with his career average totals – not a record-breaking campaign – he will move up to 24th in rushing yards and tied for seventh all-time in those categories, respectively.