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Derrick Henry's footsteps loudly echo through even the most raucous NFL stadiums. The powerfully built running back spent his first two seasons in the league, waiting patiently behind his veteran back teammates. When given the opportunity, Henry ran over countless defenders and quickly established himself as one of the best rushers in the world.
In both 2019 and 2020, Derrick Henry sat atop nearly every rushing category, including rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns, rushing yards per game, and total rushing yards. In 2021, Henry seemed to be on his way to another explosive season until he suffered a foot injury. As a result, he was forced to miss nearly half the year.
Quietly, Derrick Henry has worked manically on both his body and game. With the new league year just a few short months away, the Tennessee Titans are anxious to unwrap their new and improved back. While Henry’s undying fanbase is steadfast in their belief that he'll return better than ever, some have their doubts.
The days of Derrick Henry stiff-arming a defender into the 13th row are long gone. So are his elongated touchdown runs. Henry might not ever be the same running back. Here are three reasons why.
#1. Too many rushing attempts
As the Tennessee Titans' faith in Derrick Henry has grown, so have his rushing attempts. The All-Pro back often saunters onto the field, knowing good and well that the eyes of his opposition will be fixated on stopping him in his tracks.
Ryan Tannehill, the current signal-caller for the Titans, is mostly disregarded as he throws countless innocuous balls into the dirt. Derrick Henry, nonetheless, places the football underneath one arm and uses the other to push his defender out of the way.
The results, by and large, were spectacular. In 2019, Henry easily led the league in rushing yards and attempts, finishing the year with 1,540 yards on 303 attempts. The story was much of the same in 2020 as Henry wrapped up his season with 2,027 rushing yards and 378 attempts.
Officially, Derrick Henry has been bestowed as Tennessee’s full-time starter for approximately three and a half seasons. Even though he is only 28 years old, his workload equates to a veteran rusher on the back end of their career.
Presently, Henry’s 1,401 rushing attempts rank 104th on the all-time list. This is more than Steve Van Buren and Lenny Moore, two Hall of Fame backs. Also, Henry’s 378 rushing attempts in 2020, check in at number 19 on the all-time list for a single season. With the NFL now introducing a 17th game, Henry’s rushing total will continue to skyrocket.
Ultimately, while Derrick Henry’s age may indicate that he’s smack dab in the middle of his prime, his rushing attempts peg him closer to the end of his outrageously productive career.
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#2. No more A.J. Brown
Blessed with freakishly large shoulders and peculiarly strong hands, A.J. Brown’s name has always quietly garnered more than its fair share of attention.
Initially, Brown’s inclusion in Tennessee’s offense was meant with pushback. However, after stringing together a few noteworthy performances, Tennessee welcomed him with open arms.
With two thousand-yard seasons under his belt, Brown took a bit of a backseat this past season, registering just 869 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Ostensibly ready to move in another direction, Tennessee traded the enigmatic, yet talented receiver to the Philadelphia Eagles for spare parts.
Life without Brown will be costly for Tennessee, especially for Derrick Henry. Without the services of their best receiver, Henry will face stacked boxes and added offensive pressure on a weekly basis. Ultimately, that overarching burden will be too much for even Henry to bear.
#3. Preserve him for the playoffs
Since becoming the Tennessee Titans' unquestioned leader in the backfield, the franchise has pinned its championship hopes to Derrick Henry's burly shoulders.
While Tennessee’s need to give Henry the ball time and time again has resulted in him racking up outrageous numbers, his overall work rate has worn him down.
In 2019 and 2020, Henry easily led the league in rushing attempts, aggregating north of 300, including 378 this past season. In 2021, Henry appeared visibly tired on the field. Although he was given the ball 18 times during their first-round showdown against the Baltimore Ravens, Henry rushed for only 40 yards.
His typically blistering runs have placed Henry at a decided disadvantage when the postseason lights shine their brightest. If Tennessee is hoping to advance even further, Henry could be in need of a regular-season reprieve. And while his numbers could go down considerably, he’ll likely be even more deadly in the postseason.
