After 8 dominant seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry is heading to Baltimore. He’ll be suiting up next season with the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.  

The Deal

by Adam El-Zein

Tennessee decided not to bring back Derrick Henry this season, instead going after former Dallas Cowboys rusher Tony Pollard. This brought the 8-year Titans running back to testing free agency. After negotiating with various teams, the Ravens’ offer is what stood out to King Henry. 

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Baltimore agreed to bring on the star ball carrier on a two-year contract. That’ll pay Henry $16 million and is worth up to $20 million. He’ll also be guaranteed to make $9 next season, his first as a Raven.

His Career as a Titan

The 30-year-old rusher had his fourth Pro Bowl appearance last season with the Titans. Tennessee saw something in him back in 2016, when they drafted him at the 45th pick in the second round. He wasn’t a full-time starter until his third year in the league, when he put up over 1000 yards and 12 touchdowns for the season. 

The monster running back has led the league in carries 3 times, as well as led the NFL in both rushing touchdowns and rushing yards in back-to-back years (2019 & 2020). Before Henry’s foot injury that forced him to miss half of the 2021 season, the Titans finished each year with a winning record with Henry in the backfield. They got as far as the conference championship in 2020, losing only to the Super Bowl LIV Champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

In his eight years as a Titan, Henry’s racked up over 9,500 yards and 90 touchdowns. That’s almost 600 rushing yards and 19 more rushing touchdowns than any other player in the league. In his playoff career as a Titan, Henry averaged 104.6 rushing yards a game. That ranks sixth in the history of the league. Tennessee will for sure be missing one of their greatest to ever put on a Titans jersey. 

The Ravens Now

A team that led the AFC with 13 regular season wins just got even more lethal. With a top-tier defense, the offensive core of Baltimore is now definitely one to watch out for. They already led the league in rushing yards a game last season, and now they add a player who led all players in rushing yards for multiple years.  

Lamar Jackson just had his second MVP season. After coming short in the postseason yet again, Jackson and the Ravens are going after that championship ring to solidify themselves as an all-time great team. Adding Henry makes them an instant contender to represent the AFC, even ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs who’ve just won back-to-back. That Jackson-Henry read-option will be something to watch out for next season.