Derrick Henry Rumors: Titans Open to Contract Extension After Foot Injury

The Tennessee Titans are reportedly open to discussing a contract extension with running back Derrick Henry.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Titans would consider adding a year or two to his current deal in order to help lower his cap hits the next two seasons ($15 million in 2022, $15.5 million in 2023).

Henry, 28, was limited to eight regular-season games because of a foot injury in 2021. He was the NFL's leading rusher with 937 yards and 10 touchdowns before suffering the injury; he returned to rush for 61 yards and a score in the Titans' AFC Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Negotiating an extension with Henry would be a bit of a risk given his advancing age and recent injury history. It would be an against-the-grain move from the Titans, though Henry has been an outlier-level performer throughout his career.

It's possible the Titans offer a contract that has a lower base salary for 2024 and 2025 in exchange for more upfront money now. None of Henry's salary for this season or next is guaranteed, so an arrangement that protects him against potentially being cut a year from now might be worth taking a pay cut in a few years.

That said, asking a player who remained the most dominant runner in the NFL last season to agree to a pay cut isn't exactly an easy ask.