As if Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry needed more motivation to go out and show his stuff in 2023, he has it.
It’s been unfathomable to see, but Henry has routinely been overlooked going into 2023, partly because he’s approaching the dreaded age of 30, when running backs typically break down.
Buy Titans TicketsBut Henry hasn’t shown signs of decline up until this point, especially after a season in which he ran for over 1,500 yards and tallied a career-high 398 receiving yards despite having a putrid offense around him.
The Alabama product has been outspoken when it comes to the running back position being devalued. Now, he wants to go out and let his play do the talking, both for himself and the position in general.
“Have you all witnessed it? I’m pretty sure you all have,” Henry said, per Teresa Walker of the Associated Press. “So yes, just trying to show that we are valuable as any other position. They use us in commercials and all over the place. And we just want our share due.”
The value of running backs can differ from team to team. In Henry’s case, the Titans have relied heavily on him during his career as a run-first team that is built around his special talents, which helped net the star running back a long-term deal in 2020 and a pay raise in 2022.
“We’ve relied on Derrick as a large part of our offense and our success, and he’s had a level of consistency to be able to handle a workload,” head coach Mike Vrabel said.
Despite the aforementioned extension coming in 2020 and several running backs being up for new deals since then, Henry’s contract still ranks third in the NFL in terms of total value and annual average, falling behind both Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara, both of whom signed in 2020, also.
In addition to wanting to help out the running back position and show he still has it, Henry, who will turn 30 in January, will also be looking for another deal in the near future, as he’s set to hit free agency in 2024.
Whether or not he lands that contract with the Titans remains to be seen, but if he can put together another season like the ones he’s had in years past, it’ll be impossible to let him walk – and that’s especially true when you consider his standing in the annuls of Titans history.
“All you can do is try to be the best player you can and hope the team understands your value and appreciate you trying to do the best you can to carry the load to help your team win games and get to the Super Bowl,” Henry said.
