There is no denying that Tennessee Titans superstar running back Derrick Henry has been on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory since late 2018, when he put together a four-game stretch that was a sign of things to come.
Ever since his legendary breakout performance in Week 14 of 2018 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he rushed for 238 rushing yards and four touchdowns (2018), Henry has rushed for a whopping 7,175 rushing yards and 66 touchdowns over 64 games played (112.1 rushing yards per game).
The Alabama legend has also recorded 925 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns and three passing touchdowns of his own over that span.
When you combine that total up, he’s accounted for an unfathomable 8,100 yards from scrimmage and 71 total touchdowns since that 2018 Week 14 performance.
Make no mistake about it: the prime that we are currently experiencing with King Henry is one of the most legendary peaks a running back has ever experienced.
And I haven’t even mentioned the team success resulting from his dominance that Tennessee has experienced.
Simply put, the former Offensive Player of the Year and 2,000-yard rusher is undoubtedly one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game.
👑 https://t.co/tXnS0JXoBy pic.twitter.com/hEYQ9UYoF3
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) May 29, 2023
The question now becomes whether or not his peak has the longevity to truly join the greatest-ever conversation by the time The King hangs up his scepter.
If you ask Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, he believes Henry already has a GOAT-caliber resume.
On a recent episode of his podcast, Miami’s star receiver ranked Henry as the second-greatest running back in league history, landing behind only Adrian Peterson.
Hill’s rankings immediately went viral and subsequently caused people to start debating about which running backs they believe are the best in NFL history.
Henry inevitably stumbled upon Hill’s ranking and took the time to respond to the All-Pro wide receiver, paying his respects right back.
You already legendary @cheetah . I’m still workin 💪🏾💪🏾
— Derrick Henry (@KingHenry_2) June 19, 2023
Of course, Henry took the more modest approach in which he acts like what he’s accomplished is totally normal, but his humble nature shouldn’t be an excuse to take his greatness for granted.
When it’s all said and done, Henry will likely have a sculpture of himself inside Canton, Ohio.
But until then, I strongly encourage everyone to appreciate what we’re witnessing with Henry instead of nitpicking things to the point where his illustrious career gets overlooked for whatever bizarre reasons people can come up with these days.
