Projecting Derrick Henry's Free-Agent Contract After Saquon Barkley's Eagles Deal

The 2024 NFL free agency legal tampering window opened Monday afternoon and the landscape of the league has already changed significantly.

Some of the biggest developments centered around the running back market, as Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, D'Andre Swift and Tony Pollard all found new homes. Barkley's $37.8 million contract, which could rise to $46.8 million if he hits incentives, was especially of note, as it has the maximum value of being the second-highest average per-year salary for a running back in NFL history at 15.8 million, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

However, there is still a huge name available on the running back market. That is former Tennessee Titans tailback Derrick Henry. Pollard's signing with the Titans appears to have officially ended any hopes at Henry returning, and he looks like he will go to the highest bidder.

His career totals would have some thinking he could fetch a deal greater than Barkley's. He is a four-time Pro Bowler, won the Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2020 and has 9,502 career rushing yards with 90 career touchdowns in 119 games.

He had 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023, and his numbers are significantly better than Barkley's both throughout their careers and in the last season. However, Henry's older age at 30, as opposed to Barkley's younger age at 27, could impact his market as well as Henry's astounding usage. He has led the NFL in carries in four of the past five seasons, including three seasons with more than 300 carries.

This could make some teams view him as a player who could be worn down or close to it, and the Titans deciding to give Pollard a three-year, $24 million deal instead of bringing Henry back means that he could get less than that in free agency, let alone touching Barkley's $37.8 million deal.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Titans, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers should all be safely assumed to be out on Henry, but plenty of suitors will inevitably arise. While it likely won't be what Barkley brought home, Henry should still cash in this offseason.

A one-year deal, $10 million deal with a contender like the Baltimore Ravens or Dallas Cowboys could be expected for Henry. If he were after something more lucrative with term, similar to the deal signed by Pollard, a team like the Washington Commanders could be one to watch out for as a new ownership group tries to carve a new franchise identity.