How much has the NFL changed?
The two active players with the best chance to break Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing touchdown record are quarterbacks: Josh Allen of the Bills and Jalen Hurts of the Eagles.
It's the focus of a huge ESPN feature story on Friday ahead of the Bills-Eagles game on Sunday in Week 17.
The last time Allen and Hurts played, both QBs threw multiple touchdowns and ran for multiple touchdowns in an absolutely epic clash.
Allen has the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history, with 77. Hurts is third, at 63, and was drafted two years after Allen.
"Based on their respective paces right now, Allen and Hurts have a chance to break Emmitt Smith's career rushing touchdown record of 164," write ESPN's Tim McManus and Alaina Getzenberg. "Interestingly, both are on track to surpass Smith's mark early in the 2034 season. To put that kind of potential achievement in perspective, the top 20 currently in career rushing TDs are all running backs -- a list that includes LaDainian Tomlinson, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Jim Brown. Derrick Henry (5th, 116 TDs) is the lone active player on the list."
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Even if the tush push rules change in the years to come, it shouldn't entirely slow down Allen and Hurts. As two of the biggest, strongest and most athletic QBs in the league, they can likely cash in from short range even without a guy at their rear.
It seems safe to expect at least one to keep climbing that record board this weekend, if not both. And they've got a lot of years ahead of them, too.
Allen is a prolific passer, while Hurts gets the job done through the air, too. But both are also dominant with their legs in a way that few QBs have ever been.
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