The 2024 NFL season has seen a resurgence of the running game. After six weeks, teams across the league are averaging 4.5 yards per carry for only the second time ever, the previous instance being in 2022. Overall, they’re racking up an average of 121.7 rushing yards per game, the highest figure since 1987.

Leading this revival is Derrick Henry, the running back for the Baltimore Ravens. He has amassed 704 rushing yards so far, putting him almost 100 yards ahead of Jordan Mason from San Francisco, who stands in second place. These two are the only players to have surpassed 500 yards by Week 6.

Henry is also making an impact in the scoring department with eight rushing touchdowns, which is the highest total for the first six games in NFL history. The record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season is held by Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who achieved 28 in 2006.

So, does Henry have a shot at breaking this record? Let’s evaluate his prospects for reaching scoring greatness in 2024.

Is Derrick Henry Close to Breaking the Rushing Touchdown Record?

As things stand, it seems unlikely. Henry is currently on target for 23 touchdowns this season, positioning him sixth on the all-time list. He would trail behind:

• Tomlinson (28 in 2006)
• Shaun Alexander (27 in 2005)
• Priest Holmes (27 in 2003)
• Emmitt Smith (25 in 2005)
• John Riggins (24 in 1983)

Notably, Tomlinson had only seven rushing touchdowns during the first six games of his record-setting season.

To match Tomlinson’s record, Henry would need to score an incredible 20 rushing touchdowns over the next 11 games. Among those upcoming matches, three are against top-10 rushing defenses (twice against Pittsburgh and against the Los Angeles Chargers), whereas only one game is against a bottom-10 rushing defense, which is Cincinnati in Week 10.

LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2006 Season Breakdown

Tomlinson earned the NFL MVP title in 2006 thanks to an outstanding season. His regular season stats were as follows:

• 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 overall touchdowns that season continue to be a record for non-quarterbacks in NFL history.

After scoring just nine total touchdowns in the first half of the season, Tomlinson significantly ramped up his performance. Over the last nine games, he scored 24 total touchdowns (21 rushing, two receiving, and one passing) to break the single-season record. Even with a scoreless finish in the final two weeks, he achieved the highest scoring season by a running back in NFL history.

Comparing Career Stats: Derrick Henry vs. LaDainian Tomlinson

As Henry enters his ninth NFL season, Tomlinson played for 11 seasons—nine with the Chargers and two with the New York Jets. Here’s a comparison of their stats heading into Week 7’s Monday Night Football game featuring the Ravens:

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 currently leads active NFL players in these rushing statistics.

In career statistics, Henry is 31st in rushing yards and 11th in rushing touchdowns in NFL history. Should he finish the season at a level matching his career averages—without setting any records—he could rank 24th in rushing yards and tie for seventh in touchdowns overall.