Former Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry was the focal point of the offense for the larger portion of Mike Vrabel's tenure as head coach from 2018 onward. Henry led the league in rushing attempts this past season with 280. He was also the leader in that category in 2022 with 349 carries. In 2021, Henry was averaging a league-high 27.375 carries per game before suffering a regular-season-ending injury. In 2020, during Henry's historic 2,000-yard rushing campaign, he saw a career-high 378 carries.
In 2019, Henry's first season as Tennessee's bellcow, he totaled a league-leading 303 carries. If not for the 2021 injury, Henry would have led the league in carries every season for five consecutive years (2019-23). Besides an outlier campaign in 2020, the Titans routinely ranked at the bottom, or near the bottom, of the league in passing attempts and first-down passing efficiency. Now a member of the Baltimore Ravens alongside two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, Henry won't miss being the focal point of an offense.
“It definitely brings a different aspect, because he is a dual-threat quarterback, and he’s dangerous with his legs just as he is with his arm,” Henry said via The Athletic. “It’s going to be fun and a breath of fresh air not being the center of attention, knowing that eyes are going to be on him, as well. But I’m just excited to get to work and put the work in out here and let it all come together," Henry concluded.
The Titans and Henry essentially agreed to go their separate ways this offseason. Henry was deemed a poor fit for new head coach Brian Callahan and his pass-happy offense that will utilize 11 personnel (three receiver sets) significantly more frequently than Vrabel's did. Henry signed a two-year contract worth $16 million with the Ravens. Titans general manager Ran Carthon replaced him by signing Tony Pollard to a three-year, $21.7 million deal. The average annual salaries were nearly identical. Money wasn't why the Titans let Henry walk. Age and scheme fit were far bigger reasons.
Tony Pollard closed the season (week 11 onward) ranking:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 11, 2024
#12 in success rate
#12 in % of runs for 1st down or TD
how will Pollard perform in a new Titans offense that is transitioning to more 11-personnel with new HC Brian Callahan?https://t.co/TuneGa5xfa
Henry will forever be a Titans legend that owns several franchise records. His breakup with the franchise was amicable and timely. Henry's now looking forward to playing with a quarterback like Jackson that will stretch defenses thinner than Tennessee's ever did, and that's perfectly understandable.