Wait…Derrick Henry did what?
It is June 27th and I am still incredibly torn about what the Tennessee Titans should do with Derrick Henry.
With literally any other RB in the NFL, I think the decision is pretty clear that you don’t pay running backs big money. But (like everything about Derrick Henry) maybe this is the one exception to the rule.
I mean, can anyone find an example of a 6’3, 250 lb. running back who led the NFL in rushing, who didn’t prove worth it in his second contract? Even if you could, are they someone who beats DBs in the open field like Henry does, or are they just guys who get a ridiculous amount of volume?
Henry is a unicorn, he doesn’t exist on the same plane as every other running back in the NFL or really in NFL history. Here is a short clip of a workout he just did.
Derrick Henry getting in those hill workouts 😤
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) June 27, 2020
(via @KingHenry_2, anthonyjfit/IG) pic.twitter.com/raJJcwhZ39
Some of you may be thinking, “So? It is just a guy running up a hill.” but if you say that, I need you to know that you are absolutely wrong.
Watch his feet when he does his agility portion (which is already uphill somehow) and then watch him create instant power to drive himself up the hill at 250 lb.
For season ticket holders, let me give you an incredibly Nashville specific reference. Do you know when you are climbing the bridge on the way to the stadium before the game? Imagine weighing 250 lb. and moving from the bottom of that bridge to the apex at this pace without ever slowing down.
If you are smaller than 250 lb or if you have never worked out, imagine if you climb up stairs two at a time, at this pace. Given his height and his stride length, that is about the only way you can compare this.
He takes about 22 steps, which means that he climbs roughly two flights of stairs in 5 seconds.
And just so you know, this isn’t the only time he runs the hill, nor is it the only exercise he is doing that day. This is one rep!
If that doesn’t impress you, then I don’t know what will…
Oh wait, yes I do. Only two players have rushed for 2,500 yards rushing over the last two years and here are their per-game averages next to each other for context:
Ezekial Elliott: 20 attempts, 90 yards, (4.6 yards per attempt), 0.58 TDs,
Derrick Henry: 17 attempts, 84 yards, (5.0 yards per attempt), 0.9 TDs,
Any time a running back’s list of comparables is Zeke Elliott and he is actually more efficient than Zeke Elliot, you should bring it up.