Cam Newton breaks NFL record for career rushing touchdowns by a QB

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton became the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback on Thursday night, passing Hall of Famer Steve Young.

In a Thursday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos, Newton recorded rushing touchdown No. 44 in his career with a 2-yard run for a score late in the second quarter. The touchdown breaks the NFL record since the merger and ties Otto Graham’s mark of 44 rushing touchdowns set in the early 1950s.

Coupled with a 14-yard passing touchdown to Kelvin Benjamin in the first quarter, it’s the 32nd time in Newton’s career that he's finished a game with a touchdown through the air and on the ground, eclipsing another Young record of 31 games.

What’s remarkable about the pair of records for Newton is the time it took him to break them, grabbing the marks in his 79th career regular season game. Still just 27 and beginning his sixth NFL season, the 2015 MVP shouldn’t have much trouble pushing several rushing-related records much higher. Newton should have several seasons of silly touchdown dances ahead of him.

Newton’s abilities as a dual-threat quarterback will likely mean he has several similar records by the time his career is through. As a rookie, he smashed the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 14, and he finished his MVP season in 2015 with 10 to go with 35 passing touchdowns.

* * *

The NFL mishandled hits to Cam Newton's head