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How Derrick Henry, now 30, with Tennessee Titans deal expiring, is punching to next phase

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2024

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How Derrick Henry, now 30, with Tennessee Titans deal expiring, is punching to next phase

Another 1,000-yard season. Another Pro Bowl nod. Another year in the life of Derrick Henry.

Well . . . not exactly.

“I’m not too proud of it this year,” Henry said Thursday of the Pro Bowl nod on his 30th birthday, one day after being voted in for the fourth time in five seasons. ” . . . Sometimes you need a year like this to be able to grow, to be able to learn, to be able to reflect.

“I definitely want to do that once the season’s over. If I wasn’t fueled before, I’m definitely more fueled now, definitely more motivated, definitely more hungry and going into this offseason attacking it as hard as I can.”

Henry and the Tennessee Titans (5-11) finish their season against Henry’s hometown Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS). It will be his last guaranteed game in a Titans uniform, as the star running back becomes a free agent in March.

Now at the dreaded age for running backs and trying to put a bow on one of his least effective and most frustrating seasons as a pro, Henry has to add “ponder my future” to his fueled, motivated, hungry, attacking plans for the offseason.

“Any player would love to play for an organization and finish out their career as long as they can,” he said. “But there’s a business side and all those type of things that go on. I understand that. We’ll just see how it shakes out in the offseason.”

Derrick Henry at 30 years old

Age matters more at running back than any other position. In the past five seasons, there are only 16 players who’ve started even one game at running back after turning 30. By comparison, there have been 38 quarterbacks, 45 tight ends, 55 receivers and 146 offensive linemen who continued to start into their 30s.

Henry knows the stigma. He said he sought advice on the topic from Barry Sanders at the Super Bowl last year. He said he has looked to the examples of LaDainian Tomlinson and Fred Taylor, two of his childhood heroes, about how to age well in the league. He says that sometimes when he needs motivation, he goes online and looks up how various backs played in their 30s.

But Sanders famously retired after his age-30 season. Tomlinson never rushed for 1,000 yards again after his age-29 season. Since 2000, more players have rushed for 1,000 yards at age 29 than all players in their 30s combined. Only eight of the 21 running backs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who played after 1970 had a 1,000-yard season in their 30s.

Even the best of the best struggle to do what Henry’s trying to do.

“He’s turning 30. At that position, that’s considered really old in the NFL,” Titans running backs coach Justin Outten told The Tennessean. “It’s just pushing past that age. Age is just a number at that point. The older you get, the more technical and the more detailed you have to be. That way you can still play at a high level. He’s done that throughout the season. He’s going to continue to do that.”

Derrick Henry at the end of an era

Henry also is trying to forge his second act in an era when fewer players are afforded a chance to have a first act, at least in the way Henry did. He is the only player who has debuted since 2010 with five 1,000-yard rushing seasons. There are only two other players within 500 rushing attempts of Henry’s total since he entered the league. He is one of just four players in the past decade to touch the ball 350 or more times in multiple seasons; in the decade before, there were 14 such players.

And then there’s the matter of how much players like Henry can be counted on to lead teams where they want to go. Only three of the past 15 Super Bowl champions featured a 1,000-yard rusher on their roster. The most recent team to win a Super Bowl behind a player who finished in the top three in the NFL in rushing yards was the 2004 New England Patriots.

That running back was Corey Dillon, and for whatever it’s worth, he was 30 years old. So was LeGarrette Blount, the last 1,000-yard rusher to win a Super Bowl, when he was with the Patriots in 2017.

Outliers exist. Henry wants to be one.

Derrick Henry’s legacy at the end

No one stat can encapsulate Henry’s greatness. This one might come close, though.

Pro Football Focus has data on yards gained after contact dating to 2006. Henry owns three of the six best seasons by yards after contact, including the two best, in that span. Henry and Adrian Peterson are the only players with multiple seasons exceeding 1,200 yards after contact.

Henry has multiple seasons where he exceeded 1,500 yards after contact.

Even this year, with a career-low 3.9 yards per carry and having more than 100 yards a game just three times, he’s second in the NFL in yards after contact. He gets hit. He keeps going.

No one has been more of an engine for any team the past eight years than Henry has been for the Titans. And this weekend could be the last chance for Titans fans to show their appreciation.

“It’s the last game of the season. I’m a free agent after this year. I’ve been here eight years,” he said. “I’ll just be grateful to whoever shows up. I know the fans will come out and hopefully we put on a show and are able to finish strong.”

Henry said he isn’t asked about free agency often. He doesn’t go out in public much. He keeps a close circle. It can’t be a surprise that the guy with the impulse control to avoid eating gluten, dairy, artificial sugar and fried food can also keep his mind on the task at hand.

He says he wants to treat Sunday’s game like any other game. And what comes after that, what Henry does in his 30s and whose uniform he wears while doing it, all of that comes later.

“We’ll see,” Henry said with a wry smile when asked about beating the reputation 30-year-old running backs carry. “We’ll see.”

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

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Tennessee

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

Published

9 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the main teams when it comes to producing talent and sending talent to the NFL, which is something that has often been discovered as a standard for the football program. This is something that has been going on for quite some time and isn’t anything new to the news cycle, as the Vols have been able to produce plenty of talented prospects.

Tennessee is the home of many stars, including some of the best defensive players in SEC history. Guys like Eric Berry have found their way through the Tennessee program and onto the NFL, where they would have legendary careers. However, the defensive side of the football is the only side that has produced plenty of talent, as Tennessee has produced a lot of offensive talent as well. With the likes of Peyton Manning and company, the Vols have shown a great track record in getting talent drafted.

The Vols have produced someone who could be considered as one of the best players to play the Tide end position, as the Knoxville, Tennessee program is the home to Dallas Cowboys legend, Jason Witten. Witten is someone who made the most of his career and has been viewed as a top player at the Tide in position, and someone who is often referred to as a legend for the Cowboys, along with being a legend in the game of football as a whole.

Jason Witten Accepts TE Coach Position For Oklahoma

Oct 10, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) on the phone in the bench area in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Cowboys Stadium. The Titans beat the Cowboys 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Witten is now taking a new gig, which has him in a huge role inside the Southeastern Conference. The Vols legend is now the tight end coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have had some success out of their tight ends in the past, but the sky is the limit with a guy like Witten coaching up the players. Witten has the opportunity to do really well, as coaching tight ends won’t be an issue, and you have to imagine that he will be able to recruit very well, considering he has a huge name around him, as this is something that we have seen from positional coaches as well as head coaches who have done great work in the league. You have to imagine that the Vols will now have stiff competition for his son, Cooper, who is a five-star recruit for the upcoming 2027 class at the linebacker position.

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Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival

The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to land many of the nation’s best players in the transfer portal to replace the players who have already announced they are transferring away from Tennessee. One of the players they lost very early on to the portal, and his plans of entering the portal is Boo Carter.

Carter is someone who has quickly made a name for himself, as he played for the Vols as a freshman. He also played for the Tennessee Vols this past season before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Carter entered the portal and left an announcement on his X page for those interested. Here is what was said.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank The University of Tennessee Coaches, administrators and fans for a wonderful 2 years. Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!-Boo Carter”

Boo Carter Visits Vanderbilt

Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter (23) pulls on his jersey during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Aug. 6, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now that the portal is here, he has started to hear from many teams, including a team many anticipated to be in the picture. The Vols DB heard from the Vanderbilt staff and is now reportedly visiting them. This is a school where many of his friends go currently, and a school that has been doing well, but it is no secret that this is one of the Vols’ biggest rivalries.

He is undecided on a possible commitment somewhere, but the reports have started to indicate that the Commodores are a team to watch moving forward. This will be one to watch for the Vols, as there is a good chance they may see Carter next season.

“Dynamic athlete who quickly made an impact on defense and special teams as a true freshman … Earned the starting STAR position and shined while becoming a dangerous weapon as a punt returner as a true freshman in 2024 … Saw action as a slot receiver as well during 2025 spring practices … Early enrollee in January 2024 who participated in Citrus Bowl practices and spring practice before his true freshman season … Has compiled 63 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one interception on defense in his career … Dynamic punt returner who averages 16.0 yards per return in his career … Played in 21 career games and made five starts,” the Tennessee Vols athletics website stated.

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Tennessee Football Misses on Major Transfer Portal Target

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Football Misses on Major Transfer Portal Target

The Tennessee Volunteers have been looking to land the best of the best when it comes to the transfer portal, and they have been targeting the best, but as of recently, all it has been is a bunch of swings and misses.

The Vols have missed yet again, as they have failed to land one of their top targets on their board when it comes to the college football transfer portal at a position that they currently need more than any. That position is the cornerback position, which is one that they need very badly.

The player that they failed to land in this go-around is Troy cornerback Jaquez White. White is one of the better players that the portal has seen at the position, as he was easily named as a top portal target for many. He was seriously looking at Tennessee, and the Vols were ready to bring him in, but instead, he has opted to commit to the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Hokies have done a decent job in the portal thus far, but their portal class has definitely improved following the addition of White.

Whether this is a money thing or the Vols just couldn’t do enough convincing, the point is that they have missed on guys left and right recently. The vision isn’t clear, but fans are hopeful that it will be soon.

Here is what White did in his 2025 season according to the Troy website.

Jaquez White’s 2025 Season

Troy Trojans cornerback Jaquez White (8) tackles Clemson Tigers running back Adam Randall (8) Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors … Ranked third in the league (seventh nationally) with 14 total passes defended and fourth (15th nationally) with 11 pass break ups … Started 12 games and played in all 14 contests … Returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown in Troy’s victory over Louisiana; added interceptions against Nicholls and in Sun Belt Championship Game at James Madison … Finished season with 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack … Sack came in Troy’s win over South Alabama; added five tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass break up in the game … Season-best seven tackles against Memphis … Broke up four passes in win at ULM and had a pair at Southern Miss … Troy’s top-rated defender per PFF with an 87.6 rating … Played 879 defensive snaps, second most on the team … Third-rated cornerback in the country (min. 700 snaps) per PFF and fourth-rated cover corner … Held opponents to a 54.5 reception percentage (36-of-66).”