Derrick Henry admitted he’s been angling to play in Baltimore longer than a few days, so he described himself as thankful the Ravens signed him to a two-year deal in free agency this week.
“It’s going to be fun this year, for sure,” Henry said Thursday after making his contract official.
The Tennessee Titans opted to change directions at running back, signing Dallas Cowboys free agent Tony Pollard to fill Henry’s spot under new coach Brian Callahan.
But the Ravens have been “chasing Derrick Henry for awhile,” according to general manager Eric DeCosta. Even Henry thought he was headed to Baltimore in the middle of last season.
“We tried to trade for Derrick before the (2023) trade deadline. We thought there was a reasonable chance,” DeCosta said. “When you evaluate the tape, watch the player, see the history of the player … it made all the sense in the world for us.”
Henry is the NFL’s active leading rusher with 9,502 yards and has six consecutive seasons with at least 10 rushing touchdowns.
This season, the 30-year-old will slot in alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson for the team that led the NFL in rushing in 2023.
Henry said “let them keep talking” when asked about playing the position at his age, generally considered the point of imminent decline for NFL running backs.
“Tell them to keep watching,” Henry said.
–Field Level Media
