Top potential landing spots for Titans RB Derrick Henry
Although general manager Ran Carthon stated the door is always open for a Derrick Henry return, it’s hard to see the 30-year-old running back re-signing with the Tennessee Titans now that the organization chose to move on from head coach Mike Vrabel.
Although Henry turned 30 just a few days ago, he’s seemingly dispelled any fears about him hitting the “RB cliff”
most RBs do in their age-29 or 30 seasons after finishing as the NFL’s second-leading rusher (1,167 yards) behind San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey and finishing with the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (12).
Following back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Henry clearly believes he has plenty left in the tank, and he should be one of the more sought-after runners on the free-agent market. Here are the top landing spots for Henry in 2024:
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have finished as the NFL’s No. 1 rushing team in three of the last five seasons, and the last time they ranked outside of the top three in rushing was in 2017. So clearly Henry would still get plenty of touches in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson notwithstanding, the Ravens haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2019, and adding a runner of Henry’s caliber would likely reduce the amount of wear and tear on Jackson’s legs. (He hasn’t rushed for fewer than 750 yards since his rookie season in 2018.)
J.K. Dobbins can’t seem to stay healthy, and Baltimore will likely move on from him in the offseason. Keaton Mitchell showed promise as a rookie before tearing his ACL, and while Gus Edwards (810 yards, 13 touchdowns)
and Justice Hill (397 yards, three touchdowns) were efficient splitting the carries, none strike fear in opposing defenses. Baltimore would be even more dangerous in 2024 with Henry as its bruiser, Mitchell its speedster and Edwards/Hill as its goal-line tandem.
Buffalo Bills
At 30, it’s likely Henry is prioritizing winning a Super Bowl ring over chasing another big payday, and Buffalo would be a great place to chase that goal. Second-year RB James Cook finished fourth in the league in rushing (1,122 yards) but he scored just two touchdowns. He also did almost as much damage as a receiver (44 receptions, 445 yards, four TDs) as he did as a runner.
