Titans RB Derrick Henry clarifies ‘Zeke number is the floor’ comment

After creating quite the stir when talking about his potential desire for a contract, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry clarified his comment.

In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry created a bit of a controversy when he was asked what he was looking for in a contract.

Henry was a guest on The Rich Eisen Show and Eisen asked if the six-year, $90 million contract the Dallas Cowboys gave running back Ezekiel Elliot would be the floor for what he’s looking for in a contract.

Henry responded “Zeke number is the floor,” which instantly created a buzz because that’s a monster contract that the Titans might not be willing to dish out.

Well, as it turns out Henry misunderstood what Eisen was saying, and he clarified his comment on an Instagram post (h/t @TwoToneBlueNat1 on Twitter).

Here’s the comment from Henry:

"Misinterpreted what he said , thought he was saying “Zeke is the floor” , meaning he holds the floor as him being the highest paid at our position . So I was replying yes 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️ lol oh well"

At the time I took Henry’s comment with a grain of salt anyway. After all, this is a guy who is set to possibly start contract negotiations as a free agent and should be aiming to get as much as he can. I wouldn’t fault him for not selling himself short.

However, clearly Henry didn’t mean to say that Zeke’s contract would be the starting point in negotiations, so we know that now.

Tennessee will have three options to approach bringing Henry back in 2020. The Titans could opt to use one of the two tags (franchise or transition) available to them, or work out a long-term deal with him.

No matter how they decide to bring him back, the Titans need Henry in Nashville. He is the heart and soul of this team’s offense and losing him would be a major setback.

I continue to believe that Tennessee and Henry will work something out that is fair for both sides — and if not he can be tagged as a last-ditch effort.