Derrick Henry departed Tennessee after eight successful individual seasons as the premiere running back in the NFL.
Henry’s 8,268 rushing yards are the most in the NFL since 2018, but it also opened Henry up to criticism that he’s aged or could potentially slow down due to wear and tear.
Henry had this to say about the concerns.
"Derrick Henry is going to have a career renaissance because of the situation he's walking into. I think this combination is a match made in heaven."
—@MinaKimes on Henry joining Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bdpn709aJK
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 22, 2024
When asked about turning 30 and the potential wear and tear from eight years of carrying the load in Tennessee, Henry told reporters that he’d let his play speak for itself.
“I don’t really try to worry about that,” Henry said about the wear and tear. “It’s kind of funny. Ever since high school sometimes I got 56 [carries] in the game, 57 the next week. In college, it was 44, 46. In the NFL, it was 30, 35. I really think it’s just your mindset, how you take care of your body and not get too caught on ‘he say, she say.’ If it works and you feel good, just keep working and keep doing what you do.”
Baltimore signed Henry to a two-year, $16 million deal in free agency. He is coming off a season in which he recorded 68.6 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry, both of which were his lowest since 2018.
As Mina Kimes eloquently stated on NFL Live Monday, joining Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Isaiah Likely, and Mark Andrews should open up running lanes for Henry.
Another rushing title and deep playoff run won’t be out of the question.
