Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry was well on his way to a third consecutive rushing title when disaster struck in Week 8. Unbeknownst to him at the time, Henry suffered a broken foot in an overtime win over Indianapolis. He quickly underwent surgery, and he was sidelined for the rest of the season with many expecting we wouldn’t see him again until the 2022 season.
Just 11 weeks later, Henry plans to suit up on Saturday as the Titans, the AFC’s No. 1 seed, preparer to make their postseason debut against a Cincinnati Bengals team coming off a win in the wild-card round over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Henry has modern medicine to thank for such a rapid turnaround, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#Titans RB Derrick Henry will play today with a metal plate and 5 screws in his foot and a metal plate in his shoe.
My story on the return of the 👑 https://t.co/wR4PGs2PwE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2022
Henry’s quick return to the field will be made possible by an elaborate set-up of metal screws and plates both inside his shoe and inside his actual foot. Here’s the medical explanation for the plates, per Rapoport.
The metal plate is a modified orthotic to protect the foot from stress and stop it from flexing. It takes pressure off the repaired area to keep it safe while he’s running and cutting. He can run without any reservations.
As for the plate, it’s considered more secure and stable than simply inserting a screw into the repaired metatarsal. Henry actually has one plate and five screws in his foot.
The thought of playing a football game 11 weeks after fracture-repairing surgery with a foot filled with metal makes me a bit woozy, to be honest, but I guess not all of us can be Derrick Henry.
Though it would be reasonable to assume Henry will not be 100 percent for Saturday’s Divisional Round matchup, he is not on a set snap count and will not be limited against the Bengals unless he suffers a mid-game setback, according to ESPN NFL reporter Dianna Russini.
However, even if Henry is at 100 percent, this Kansas City Chiefs fan has an outside-the-box strategy for slowing down the league’s best running back.
Titans are screwed, as NFL insiders are reporting that Cincinnati will start Magneto at free safety today after signing him earlier this week off of the X-Men’s practice squad.
— David-Chiefs Insider (possibly fake) (@Chiefs247365) January 22, 2022
It might just be crazy enough to work.
X-Men notwithstanding, Henry’s return should provide a major boost for Tennessee, whose offense was never quite the same without the reigning First-Team All-Pro despite ultimately finishing with the best record in the conference.
