Derrick “King” Henry has found a brand new team after 8 seasons with the Tennessee Titans. The Baltimore Ravens scooped Henry up and signed him to a 2-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed. After losing RB Gus Edwards to the Chargers in free agency, the Ravens immediately find an upgrade through Henry.
One of the Best
Derrick Henry was drafted with the 45th-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Henry served as the backup to then-RB DeMarco Murray. The 2nd-round pick had a considerable impact in his rookie season, despite the presence of the veteran Murray. Henry had 490 rushing yards and 5 TDs in his rookie year. He maintained an average of 4.5 yards per carry in his rookie campaign.
In the following year, Henry won the duel against DeMarco Murray for the starting job heading into the future. Henry had 85 more rushing yards in 8 less carries than Murray, showing how Henry maximized his opportunities. It was clear that the Tennessee Titans had their running back going forward to complement QB Marcus Mariota.
In 2018, Derrick Henry would surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, tallying 1,059 rushing yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. The superstar accomplished this feat while facing the most defenders stacked in the box of any RB in 2018 (average of 7.4 per rush). It was clear that the Titans had a generational running back in their hands.
2019-2020 showed the world Derrick Henry’s peak. The star RB led the NFL in carries, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and rushing yards per game in both seasons. Henry tallied 1,540 rushing yards in 2019, scoring 16 touchdowns as well, complementing QB Ryan Tannehill. In 2020, Henry became one of eight RBs ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, joining the likes of Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson, and Adrian Peterson, to name a few. The Titans RB would finish 2020 with 2,027 rushing yards and 17 TDs despite mediocre QB play from Ryan Tannehill that season.
After Henry’s injury-ridden season in 2021, the Tennessee Titans began to overly rely on the ageing RB. The Titans’ one-dimensional offence resulted in multiple losing seasons in 2022 and 2023. While Henry certainly continued to deliver on the production-front (1,538 rushing yards in 2022, 1,167 rushing yards in 2023), there was blatant regression in terms of yards per carry. Some of this regression can definitely be attributed to the Titans’ offensive line that was the worst in the NFL, according to PFF.
New Team, New OLine, New Henry?
According to PFF, the Baltimore Ravens offensive line was among the best in the NFL. With a Ravens team that led the league in rushing yards per game, that number should be amplified even more with an enhanced RB in Derrick Henry. After another disappointing finish to the 2023 postseason, Baltimore is looking forward to Derrick Henry being a major contributor to a potential 2024 Super Bowl title.
Other Notable Moves Around the NFL
- LB Patrick Queen to sign 3-year, $41 million deal with Pittsburgh Steelers
- Detroit Lions sign CB Amik Robertson to 2-year, $9.25 million deal
- Atlanta Falcons sign WR Darnell Mooney to 3-year, $39 million deal
- Cincinnati Bengals trade RB Joe Mixon to Houston Texans
- Cleveland Browns sign QB Jameis Winston to 1-year, $9 million deal
- Los Angeles Rams sign CB Darious Williams to 3-year, $22.5 million deal
- New York Giants sign QB Drew Lock