OWINGS MILLS, MD – The NFL’s most productive running back of the last decade has joined the league’s No. 1 rushing attack.
The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to terms on a two-year, $16 million deal with Derrick Henry, sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Sources told Schefter the deal could be worth up to $20 million, including $9 million guaranteed in the first year.
The deal pairs the two-time NFL rushing champion with reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson. The Ravens attempted to trade for Henry before last year’s trade deadline.
Henry, 30, has been available on the free agent market longer than expected. Before Henry joined Baltimore, 10 other free agent running backs had agreed to deals in the first two days of the NFL negotiating window.
The Ravens, who led the NFL with 2,661 rushing yards last season, were in need of a starting running back as JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards were free agents. On Monday, Edwards agreed to a two-year, $7 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Henry could ease the load on Jackson, who has led the Ravens in scoring in each of the last five seasons. In Jackson’s six seasons, only one running back has gained more than 1,000 rushing yards in Baltimore (Mark Ingram in 2019). Henry has rushed for over 1,000 yards in five of his last six seasons, including leading the NFL in rushing in 2019 and 2020.
The addition of Henry is the Ravens’ first major addition in free agency. Before reaching an agreement with Henry, the Ravens had signed six of their free agents elsewhere: cornerback Edwards (Chargers), safety Geno Stone (Bengals), wide receiver Devin DuVernay (Jaguars), guard John Simpson (Jets), Ronald Darby (Jaguar). ) and linebacker Dell’Shawn Phillips (Texans).
Henry established himself as one of the Titans’ all-time great players during his eight-year career at Tennessee. Only Eddie George (10,009) has more rushing yards than Henry’s 9,502 career rushing yards. Henry’s 90 rushing touchdowns are tied for 13th with Hall of Fame running backs Curtis Martin and Eric Dickerson.
The Titans moved on from Henry on Monday when they agreed to terms on a three-year contract with running back Tony Pollard.
Despite playing behind a poor offensive line, Henry finished second in the NFL with 1,167 rushing yards last season. He also added 12 rushing touchdowns. Henry’s final game of the 2023 season, in which he rushed for 153 yards and was clocked at 21.7 mph on GPS, showed he still has great football left in his career.
In 2020, after leading the NFL with a franchise-record 2,027 rushing yards, Henry was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Associated Press First-Team All-Pro and FedEx Ground Player of the Year for the second consecutive season Was. He became the eighth player in NFL history to gain 2,000 rushing yards in a season. His 2,027 rushing yards gave him the fifth-most in NFL history behind Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 (1984), Adrian Peterson’s 2,097 (2012), Jamal Lewis’s 2,066 (2003) and Barry’s 2,053. Sanders (1997).
In 2021, Henry led the NFL with 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns through the first eight weeks of the season, before a foot injury derailed a potential second 2,000-yard rushing season. Despite losing nine games, Henry still finished in the top 10.
Henry was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career last season. The Titans selected Henry out of Alabama in the second round of the 2016 draft. Henry was the catalyst for Alabama’s national championship in 2015 when he won the Heisman Trophy.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport contributed to this report.