Since the turn of the century, just half a dozen NFL stars have managed to score five or more touchdowns in a single game, with one standout star scoring the most touchdowns in one game.
No quarterbacks are hogging the credit here. Just running backs and receivers who went off to become one-man highlight reels.
Join us as we look back at the players who’ve scored the most touchdowns in one game since 2000, and the unforgettable performances that put them in rare company.
Alvin Kamara – 6 touchdowns
Alvin Kamara turned Christmas Day into a clinic in 2020, running for six touchdowns against the Vikings. He tied a record that had stood untouched since 1929.
With a red cleat on one foot and green on the other, he didn’t just carve through Minnesota’s defense. He gift-wrapped the NFC South title for the New Orleans Saints.
He found the end zone in every quarter, racking up 155 rushing yards and leaving defenders grasping at air. At one point, Sean Payton tried to give Taysom Hill a goal-line carry. Players on the sideline talked him out of it.
Kamara got the handoff after all, punched in number six, and walked off with a slice of history.
After the game, he laughed off the likely fine for wearing red and green Christmas-themed cleats, which violated the NFL’s strict uniform rules.
“If they fine me, whatever it is, I’ll just match it and donate to charity,” he said. “You know, the Grinch always tries to steal Christmas.”
Jonathan Taylor – 5 touchdowns
Jonathan Taylor ripped through the Bills in November 2021, scoring five touchdowns in a 41-15 win that shook up the AFC playoff picture.
Buffalo came in with the NFL’s top-ranked defense. Taylor made that stat look irrelevant, racking up 185 rushing yards and another 19 through the air.
He scored four times on the ground and once on a reception, becoming the first player in Colts history to hit five in a single game. Not since 1976 had a running back done it against Buffalo.
Taylor’s runs weren’t just efficient, they were ruthless. He broke tackles in space, powered through contact, and finished every drive.
It remains the most complete game of his career and one of the standout individual performances of the modern NFL.
Jamaal Charles – 5 touchdowns
Jamaal Charles produced one of the most absurd stat lines in NFL history against the Raiders in December 2013, scoring five touchdowns on just eight touches.
Playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Charles did most of his damage through the air. He caught four short passes and took them to the house with speed and balance, then added a rushing score for good measure.
He finished the game with 195 receiving yards and another 20 on the ground. Every time the ball found his hands, the result felt inevitable.
It was one of the most remarkable displays of touchdowns in a single game this century.
Doug Martin – 5 touchdowns
Doug Martin broke out in style for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 2012 road win over the Raiders, racking up 251 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.
Four of those came on the ground, all in the second half. He added a receiving score in the first quarter to start what would become a career-defining afternoon.
Oakland had no answer. Martin weaved through gaps, stiff-armed tacklers, and hit open space at speed. He looked unstoppable every time he touched the ball.
The rookie set a franchise record for single-game rushing yards and became the first player in NFL history to run for 250 and score four times in one game.
Clinton Portis – 5 touchdowns
Clinton Portis put on a show for the Denver Broncos in December 2003, torching the Chiefs for five rushing touchdowns and 218 yards on just 22 carries.
He found the end zone from a distance and through tight spaces, using footwork and acceleration that left defenders flat-footed. It was the second time he’d cracked 200 yards that season.
Portis added insult to injury with a celebratory strut into the end zone on his final score. The game was already over, but he made sure Kansas City wouldn’t forget it.
He was only in his second NFL season but already looked like a star. Performances like this helped explain why Washington were willing to trade Champ Bailey to get him.
Shaun Alexander – 5 touchdowns
Shaun Alexander scored five touchdowns in just one half for the Seattle Seahawks in a 2002 blowout win over the Vikings. By the time the third quarter started, his work was done.
He ran in four and added one more through the air, all before the break. Minnesota simply couldn’t keep up with his cuts or his power.
It was the first five-touchdown game of the 21st century and still ranks among the most touchdowns in one game by any player. It was efficient, too, as Alexander needed only 20 touches to get there.
The Seahawks cruised, and Alexander’s place in NFL history was already secure, long before his MVP season would follow.
READ MORE: TOP 20 HIGHEST-PAID NFL PLAYERS IN 2025: JOE BURROW 5TH, PATRICK MAHOMES 14TH…
