"Hang up the cleats," "It's over": Calls mount for Derrick Henry's retirement from fans after costly game-losing fumble vs. Lions on MNF

The Baltimore Ravens dropped their first game of the season after a 38-30 defeat against the Detroit Lions on Monday. Ravens running back Derrick Henry has come under scrutiny for his costly error in the loss.

The two teams remained neck to neck for most of the contest. The Ravens were looking to claw their way back in the fourth quarter, down 28-24. However, Derrick Henry's fumble during a drive gave the ball back to Detroit with 8:31 left.

The Lions punished the home team by adding three points on the turnover.

Following Henry's costly fumble, fans urged the 31-year-old running back to announce his retirement.

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"Time for Derrick Henry to retire 🤦🏽 Lamar ain’t looking good tonight either."

"Derrick Henry needs to retire, it's over."

"Derrick Henry is done. Hang up the cleats."

"Derrick Henry is finished."

"Derrick Henry gotta hang em up."

"Derrick Henry finally washed it’s been a good run."

Derrick Henry was frustrated after the mistake and he slammed his helmet on the bench and losing his footing in the process. The Lions went on to score 10 points after his fumble, dealing the Ravens their first loss of the season.

Derrick Henry vows to improve after a fumble for third consecutive game

The veteran running back acknowledged his mistake after the game and took the blame for the loss.

"Got to keep it high and tight. Got lackadaisical,” Henry said. “They made a play, but I put this loss on me. I just got to hold onto the ball. I just gotta keep working... that's all I can think of right now."

Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh also addressed the costly fumble that seemingly turned the game in favor of the visitors.

“I don’t think it will be [the norm] going forward, but we gotta get it fixed. That was a blind shot [from the defender]. … Still, we just want to protect the football,” Harbaugh said.

It was Henry's third fumble in as many games this season, a concerning sign for the Ravens as the veteran running back had three in the entire campaign last season.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash