Quarterback rushing touchdowns aren’t always the highlight of a game plan. They’re often scrambles, improvisations, or last-ditch efforts when everything else breaks down. But throughout NFL history, there have been moments when a QB’s legs—not his arm—completely shifted momentum, defined legacies, and swung games that mattered. Here are some of the most iconic times a quarterback rushing touchdown changed the outcome of a game and, in a few cases, the trajectory of an entire season.
1. Steve Young’s Legendary Run – 1988 NFC Divisional Playoff
Before Steve Young became a Hall of Fame passer, he built a reputation as one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks the league had ever seen.
Late in a tight playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, Young delivered one of the most memorable plays in postseason history. The pocket collapsed, Young rolled left, stepped through would-be tacklers, and sprinted 49 yards into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
That rushing TD completely changed the game, giving the 49ers the spark they desperately needed and setting the tone for Young’s future as the face of the franchise. It wasn’t just a score—it was a takeover moment.
2. John Elway’s “Helicopter Run” – Super Bowl XXXII (1998)
It wasn’t technically a touchdown, but it remains one of the most influential QB runs ever—and it set up the touchdown that changed the game.
With the Broncos trailing the Packers 17–14 in the third quarter, a 37-year-old Elway took off on 3rd-and-6. Instead of sliding, he launched himself into defenders, spinning midair in the iconic “helicopter” motion. The Broncos scored a TD on the next play, tying the game and swinging momentum their way.
While not a rushing TD by Elway himself, the run created the touchdown that ultimately helped Denver win its first Lombardi Trophy. It was the emotional turning point of the entire game.
3. Michael Vick Ends the Vikings’ Playoff Hopes – 2002 Wild Card Game
At the peak of his powers, Michael Vick was a cheat code.
In the 2002 postseason, the Atlanta Falcons went on the road as underdogs to face the Green Bay Packers—who had never lost a home playoff game in franchise history.
Late in the third quarter, Vick kept the ball on a zone read, dashed 10 yards untouched into the end zone, and silenced Lambeau Field. That touchdown didn’t just extend the Falcons’ lead—it symbolized the beginning of the end for the Packers that night.
Atlanta won 27–7, and Vick’s rushing TD became the signature moment of one of the biggest playoff upsets ever.
4. Colin Kaepernick Sets the NFL Rushing Record – 2012 Divisional Playoff
Colin Kaepernick’s 2012 performance against the Green Bay Packers is one of the greatest rushing games by a quarterback in NFL history—181 yards, an NFL record.
After throwing a pick-six early, Kaepernick responded with a 20-yard read-option rushing touchdown that completely flipped the script. The Packers were caught off guard defensively, and San Francisco never looked back.
That rushing TD was the first punch in what became a full-blown avalanche. Kaepernick dominated the rest of the night, and the 49ers went on to reach the Super Bowl. Without that early rushing score, the narrative of his career—and that playoff run—could have been very different.
5. Patrick Mahomes’ Sprint to the Super Bowl – 2019 AFC Championship
Before Mahomes became a two-time MVP and multiple Super Bowl champion, he needed one defining moment to break through.
Down 17–14 against the Tennessee Titans, Mahomes scrambled left, tip-toed the sideline, broke tackles, spun off defenders, and powered into the end zone for a 27-yard rushing touchdown.
That single play shifted momentum and sent Kansas City to its first Super Bowl in 50 years. Fans look at Mahomes as an elite passer, but this rushing TD is still one of the greatest plays of his career because it changed the entire game.
6. Cam Newton Bulldozes the Titans – 2015 MVP Season
During the Panthers’ dominant 15–1 season, Cam Newton delivered countless highlight moments—but none more powerful than his Superman run against the Titans.
Facing 3rd-and-goal, Newton kept the ball on a designed run, bounced off multiple tacklers, spun, and then muscled his way into the end zone. That rushing touchdown sealed the game and became one of the most replayed highlights of the MVP season.
It wasn’t just a score—it was a statement: Carolina was for real.
The Common Thread: When the QB Becomes the Playmaker
Across all these examples, a QB rushing touchdown did more than add points. It:
- Shifted momentum in crucial moments
- Caught defenses off guard
- Elevated a team emotionally
- Defined careers and playoff runs
In many of these games, the defense planned for the pass, but the QB’s legs were the real dagger. Rushing touchdowns from quarterbacks aren’t always expected—but that’s exactly why they shape history.
When a quarterback takes off, everything changes
