Which NFL players have a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in one game?

The first player to pull off the trifecta was…just some guy. Okay, maybe that is a bit harsh on Renfro, who was a three-time Pro Bowler and a member of those formidable Cleveland Browns teams in the 1950s. It was in 1953, while playing halfback, that Renfro made NFL history. The Browns smashed the Giants 62-14, and Renfro caught a touchdown from Hall of Famer (and still the best quarterback in Browns history) Otto Graham.

(Renfro is the guy on the ground lying at the feet of the guy trying to tackle Jim Brown. He was, evidently, not oft-photographed.)

Now here’s a more notable name, and not just because he became a TV commentator and was married to Kathie Lee of “Regis & Kathy Lee” fame. Gifford was a Hall of Famer as a player. In that old-timey NFL way, Gifford played a little defense, but also played receiver and running back (or flanker and halfback in the parlance of the time). The Giant capped his MVP campaign in 1956 by accounting for all four touchdowns in a win over Washington. Gifford is the only player on this list to have two rushing touchdowns on the day in question.

Gedman’s NFL career was brief, and made briefer by taking two years off to serve in the military. It wasn’t even wartime! Playing for the Lions in 1958, the running back did triple-duty in a win over the 49ers. Notably, the running back actually threw two passes, completing both for 111 yards and a touchdown. Not too shabby for Gedman.

(Gedman is back row, farthest left.)

Instead of playing for the Steelers after they took him in the 1953 NFL Draft, Johnson opted to play a season in Canada. That’s right, the CFL existed in 1953, and Johnson was league MVP. He then signed with the 49ers, was the Lions’ leading running back when they won the title in 1957, and then he finally did make his way to the Steelers. In 1960, Johnson didn’t just do the touchdown-three-ways thing. He did it in the first half in a 27-21 win over the Eagles.

Even though he was a running back, Lincoln was able to manage two receiving touchdowns alongside a passing and a rushing score. He’s also the only AFL player to do it, pulling off the feat for the Chargers against the Broncos in 1965. By the way, the player Lincoln threw his touchdown pass to was Hall of Fame receiver Lance Alworth.

If you were wondering, yes we are talking about that Dan Reeves. The two-time coach of the year, the guy who led the Broncos and Falcons into the Super Bowl (though with no victories). Before his coaching days, Reeves was no slouch as a player. A running back, he played for the Cowboys from 1965 until 1972. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he retired with almost as many receiving yards and rushing yards. In 1967, Reeves’ big day helped the Cowboys comfortably beat the Eagles, which certainly put him in the good graces of Dallas fans.

(Dan Reeves: Running back AND holder)

Harmon Wages has the best name of anybody on this list, but he also probably had the least remarkable career. He spent his career as a backup quarterback (and third-string quarterback) for the Falcons. Thanks to a chance to step into the starting lineup against the woeful Saints in 1969, Wages was able to put himself in the record books. It was quite the day as well. Wages ran for a 66-yard score and caught an 88-yard touchdown as well.

Alright, now here’s a name that needs no introduction. Payton is one of the best running backs in NFL history. There was a gap, as “Sweetness” didn’t have his trifecta until 1979, a decade after Wages did it. It was not the best day of Payton’s career, though, in more ways than one. This was the only time a player who achieved this feat lost, as the Vikings beat the Bears 30-27.

Patten also made history as the only player to do this while playing at wide receiver. As such, it’s not a shocker that he had two receiving touchdowns on the day, including a 91-yard touchdown. There was another long gap here, as Patten did it for the Patriots against the Colts in 2001. Patten caught his touchdown from a freshly minted quarterback by the name of Tom Brady, then seen as Drew Bledsoe’s injury replacement.

Here’s another Hall of Famer, and a guy we’re not surprised made this happen. Tomlinson scored a bunch of touchdowns, leading the NFL in rushing scores on three occasions. He’s also one of the rare running backs to have a season with 100 catches. Okay, so the passing touchdown was a novelty, but why not, like Tomlinson, have the opportunity? In a battle of old home cities, Tomlinson did it for the San Diego Chargers against the Oakland Raiders.

Our first active player! Tomlinson completed this task in 2005, and McCaffrey did it in 2022. That was quite the gap. McCaffrey, like LT, has a season with 100 catches to his name. He did that as a Panther. McCaffrey did this, though, as a 49er. San Fran beat the Rams in what was notably McCaffrey’s second game with the team after moving in a trade from Carolina.

The most recent example is also the wildest example. Allen, who did it in 2024 en route to winning MVP, became the first quarterback to do it. The Bill did it on Sunday Night Football as well. Oh, and on one play, he threw a pass to Amari Cooper, who lateraled the ball back to Allen, who then scored. Allen was credited with both a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown on that play. If that feels iffy, don’t worry. He also had a second, more traditional passing score.