NFL all-time QB rushing leaders: Why Josh Allen is already more impressive than Cam Newton

There are few quarterbacks in NFL history who have made this much of an impact on the league this quickly than Josh Allen. The Buffalo Bills quarterback already has an MVP to his name, and should join even more elusive territory in the years to come — both in the air and on the ground.

What makes Allen so difficult to defend is not just his rocket arm — which cannot be understated, as this man can put the ball where others simply cannot — but his ability to scramble when any play breaks down. Allen has a feel for opposing pass-rushers in the pocket that cannot be taught. It's all instinct, y'all, and he's only getting better.

NFL all-time QB rushing leaders (yards)

Allen's been in the league for just under eight seasons, which makes his presence on this list all the more impressive. While his pace is sure to slow down some in his 30s, Allen's rushing ability isn't about pure speed. Rather, it's his pocket presence and arm strength that keeps opposing defenses honest — and opens up running lanes as the play breaks down.

The players bolded above are still playing, which goes to show it'll be extremely tough for Allen to pass Lamar Jackson on this list, since they're near the same age and have both shown no signs of slowing down. We live in the golden age of dual-threat quarterback play, my friends. Embrace it.

NFL all-time QB rushing leaders (touchdowns)

What separates Allen from his contemporaries in the rushing department is just how much the Bills use him near the goal line. One would assume Buffalo would want to keep its best player out of harm's way in such situations, but Allen is such a weapon that Sean McDermott cannot afford to do so. Even with a bell-cow at running back in James Cook, Allen just keeps moving up the charts.

Allen can surpass Newton on Thursday night against the Houston Texans, and surely will within the next few weeks at the very worst. Newton accomplished his record-setting numbers in 144 career starts, while Allen has only played in 120 games as of this writing. Hurts remains a player to watch on this list, as well, since he is still playing and the Eagles use his legs as a weapon near the goal line. Philly's tush push has only helped Hurts pad his own stats in this department, though, and that play could be banned as early as this offseason.

Why Josh Allen breaking Cam Newton’s TD record is more impressive

Again, what makes Allen's accomplishment more impressive than Newton's is that he will secure the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in fewer games. Newton was also more of an imposing rushing threat than Allen, who is asked to do it all for this Bills offense.

The Panthers tendency to call assigned runs for Newton — which some might say shortened his career arc and late-career impact — is a tactic the Bills hope to avoid with Allen. At his best, Newton led Carolina to Super Bowl 50, ultimately falling short against a scary Denver Broncos defense.

At his current pace, Allen averages one rushing touchdown every 1.6 games. Newton averaged one rushing touchdown every 1.92 games throughout his career. That pace was undoubtedly slowed by the wear and tear on Cam's body, as he wasn't the same player in the final few years of his career. Both were superstars, but Allen will hope to keep Father Time at a stiff arm's length in the latter half of his illustrious career, which Newton failed to do.

Where Josh Allen could finish if he keeps this pace

Allen's had a tremendous career already, and has been blessed with very few injury setbacks to speak of. Should that continue, we can assume he'll keep using his legs at this pace for at least the next 3-4 seasons. Much like Newton, eventually the Bills will have to alter their gameplan to keep Allen healthy for the duration of a full season. He cannot (and will not) keep taking hits at this rate when he's, say, 35 years old, or else the Bills will have little chance of reaching their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.

For the sake of this article, I'll assume Allen continues at his current rate (one touchdown every 1.6 games) for the next three seasons. At that point, though, I predict it'll slow some. Allen still has a big body and should be able to make plays on the run later in his career, but his rate of scoring on the ground should drop to, say, one every 3.5 games, which is still impressive! Here's how the rest of his career could shake out, assuming he plays until he's 36.

Okay, so I'm being incredibly generous with these projections. First, it goes without saying that I assume Allen won't miss any time. That may not turn out to be the case given how recklessly he plays the game. I am also assuming he'll play a similar brand of football a half-decade from now, which may not be realistic.

However, Allen could also play well into his late-30's for all I know. Aaron Rodgers, who also appeared on both lists, is 41 going on 42! Who really knows what the future holds for the Bills star? If he follows the above trajectory, though, he will rewrite the record books for a dual-threat quarterback, and not just in the rushing touchdowns statistic we highlighted.