Derrick Henry Says It'd 'Be Great' to Receive Contract Extension from Titans
June 14, 2022
Derrick Henry seemed open to an extension with the Tennessee Titans when asked about the situation Tuesday:
"If that's what the future holds, then yeah, that'd be great," Henry said of a possible new deal.
Henry has two seasons remaining on his initial four-year, $50 million deal he signed in 2020, and he has shown little sign of slowing down when on the field.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last month the Titans are "at least open to a possible new deal" that could extend the contract while lowering the cap hits in coming years. He has a $15 million cap hit in 2022 and $15.5 million cap hit in 2023, per Spotrac
A foot injury limited Henry to eight games last season, but he was dominant when healthy with 937 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season. His 117.1 yards per game would have easily led the NFL had he qualified for the leaderboard, while he still finished ninth in the league in rushing yards even in less than half a season.
The running back was seemingly less than full strength when he returned for the playoffs, but he still helped his team with 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 30 offensive snaps in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The injury prevented Henry from winning a third straight rushing title, one of which came in the 2020 season when he tallied 2,027 yards on the ground, fifth most in NFL history. He added 17 touchdowns that season and was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year.
Over the past four years, the 28-year-old has averaged 101.1 rushing yards per game and posted 55 rushing touchdowns in 55 contests.
It's clear the Titans want to keep that production as they look to extend their window of contention. It could also provide future stability if 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis eventually takes over as the starting quarterback.