John Elway ranks seventh on the Denver Broncos’ all-time rushing list, and he’s the first non-running back to appear on the list.
Elway was a threat to make plays with his legs (“The Helicopter” is a classic example of that), but his longevity (234 games) helped him rank so high on Denver’s all-time rushing list. Elway retired with 3,407 career rushing yards and 33 touchdowns, impressive totals for a quarterback.
Elway was the best running quarterback in franchise history, though.
Tim Tebow had a brief two-year run with the Broncos and while his passing ability has been fairly criticized, Tebow was a huge threat as a runner. His 660 rushing yards in 2011 are the most ever recorded by a Denver quarterback in a single season and his 12 rushing touchdowns trail only Elway (and he played 211 fewer games than Elway).
Russell Wilson was also a better runner than Elway. Some Broncos fans might scoff at the notion of Wilson being mentioned on an all-time best list, but his 341 rushing yards in 2023 trail only Tebow for the second-most in a single season by a Denver QB. Wilson is the only player in NFL history with 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards.
Marlin Briscoe was also more of a threat on the ground than Elway. His 308 rushing yards in 1968 are the third-most by a Broncos QB in a single season and had Denver kept him beyond one season, Briscoe could have ranked very high among QBs on the team’s all-time rushing list.
Check out the full list of the 12 best rushing quarterbacks in Broncos history below.
1
Tim Tebow
Tebow rushed for 887 yards and 12 touchdowns, which both rank second in franchise history despite his short tenure in Denver. His 660 rushing yards in 2011 are a franchise record for a QB.
2
Russell Wilson
Broncos fans might not like seeing Wilson praised on an all-time list, but his running ability cannot be overlooked. Wilson rushed for 618 yards in two seasons with the Broncos and his six rushing touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most among QBs in franchise history. His 341 rushing yards in 2023 are the second-most by a Denver QB in a single season, trailing Tebow.
3
Marlin Briscoe
Briscoe was a pioneer for Black quarterbacks in professional football, but Denver only kept him for one season and he later switched to wide receiver to continue playing in the NFL. Briscoe won two Super Bowls and earned a Pro Bowl nod as a WR. He might have become one of the best dual-threat QBs in NFL history had the Broncos kept him beyond one year. His 308 rushing yards in 1968 are the third-most by a QB in franchise history (and his 14 passing touchdowns are a rookie record that still stands in Denver).
4
John Elway
Some fans will argue that Elway deserves to be higher on this list. His 3,407 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns both rank first among QBs in franchise history, but he was also the longest-tenured QB in franchise history. Elway was definitely a big threat on the ground, but other QBs were better pure runners.
5
Jake Plummer
Plummer rushed for 670 yards in 59 games with the Broncos. His seven rushing TDs are third among QBs, only trailing Elway and Tebow.
6
Jay Cutler
Cutler’s 423 rushing rank sixth among QBs in franchise history. He also scored three times on the ground.
7
Norris Weese
Weese’s 362 rushing yards rank seventh among Denver QBs and his five rushing touchdowns are tied for sixth.
8
Drew Lock
Lock rushed for 285 yards in 24 games and his five rushing touchdowns are tied for sixth-most among QBs.
9
Craig Morton
Morton’s six rushing touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most among Broncos QBs, but he’s not ranked higher because it took him 72 games to rush for 256 yards.
10
Gary Kubiak
Kubiak only started five games as an injury fill-in during his career, but he managed to rush for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Those are impressive totals for a small sample size.
11
Bradlee Van Pelt
Mike Shanahan made use of Van Pelt’s rushing ability by giving the backup quarterback 11 carries in 2005. Van Pelt ended the year with 48 rushing yards and one touchdown. His numbers don’t jump off the page because he only appeared in three games, but Van Pelt was a talented runner.
12
Phillip Lindsay
Maybe it’s cheating to put Lindsay on a list of QBs, but to make up for it, we have him ranked 12th. Technically, Lindsay started the infamous Kendall Hinton game against the New Orleans Saints in 2020. Lindsay was, of course, a running back, but he has one QB start on his resume.
