Derrick Henry, Titans Agree to Four-Year Deal Ahead of Franchise Tag Deadline
The deadline for teams to reach deals with the players that they slapped with the franchise tag in the offseason came and went on Wednesday afternoon at 4 pm ET. There were a total of 14 players that had been slapped with the franchise tag and were trying to lock down long-term deals before that deadline. If they were unable to, then the two sides couldn’t negotiate again until after the season came to a close. Of that group, only two were able to lock down deals by Wednesday afternoon. Defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Chiefs worked out a four-year deal worth up to $85 million with $60 million of that as guaranteed money on Tuesday.
As for the other player that locked in a new deal ahead of the deadline, that was Titans’ running back Derrick Henry. The team announced that the two sides had reached a four-year deal worth a reported $50 million with $25.5 million of that guaranteed money. That makes him the fifth-highest paid running back by average annual value (AAV) of his contract at $12.5 million.
Henry was a force in the Tennessee offense last season, running the ball 303 times for 1,540 yards and 16 scores in the regular season while playing 15 of the team’s 16 games. He added 18 receptions for 206 yards and two additional scores. Henry led the league in rushing attempts, rushing yards and average rushing yards per game (102.7) in addition to rushing scores. He was third in total touchdowns (18) and fifth in yards per carry (5.1) while earning his first Pro Bowl nod in the process.
Once the postseason got underway, Henry turned it up another notch as the Titans made a run to the AFC Championship Game, where they fell to Kansas City. He pounded the Patriots to the tune of 34 carries for 182 yards plus a score while adding one reception for 22 yards as the Titans beat New England 20-13 at Foxborough in Tom Brady’s final start for the franchise that drafted him. That was followed up by a destruction of top-seeded Baltimore on the road in the AFC Divisional Playoff. He racked up 30 carries for 195 yards, added two catches for seven yards and threw a three-yard touchdown pass as the Titans took a 28-12 victory. Henry was held in check by the Chiefs, carrying the ball 19 times for 69 yards and a score as Tennessee fell 35-24 in the AFC title game. All told, he ran the ball 89 times for 446 yards and two scores while catching five passes for 21 yards and throwing for a score.
In his career, Henry has carried the ball 804 times for 3,833 yards and 38 scores over 62 games, 31 of which are starts, in four seasons. He has added 57 receptions for 578 yards and three scores as a receiver out of the backfield, though to be fair, Dion Lewis was the main pass receiving back in the last couple of seasons for Tennessee. With Lewis now with the Giants, it could open up some work in the passing game for Henry, who could be tough to bring down when it comes to the screen game and with a head of steam.
The signing of Henry is a smart one for the Titans, who now keep him in the fold for four more seasons. In one offseason, the team handed out multi-year deals to their starting quarterback (Ryan Tannehill) and their star running back (Henry), giving them some stability on that side of the ball. Tennessee made a run to the AFC Championship Game last season and with their anchors offensively there, along with emerging weapons in A.J. Brown and Jonnu Smith, they have a good chance at being a force again in 2020.
