Derrick Henry: 'I Wish I Could've Suited Up' for Ravens vs. Chiefs in AFC Title Game

Derrick Henry was thinking about the Baltimore Ravens prior to signing on the dotted line.

The four-time Pro Bowler is gearing up for his first season on a two-year, $16 million deal for the franchise but had nearly been traded to Baltimore at the 2023 trade deadline.

Henry had this in mind when he watched the Ravens fall to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship and wondered what impact he could have made.

"I wish I could've suited up that day, watching that game," Henry said, per Sarah Ellison of RavensVault. "But now it's my turn, so I gotta take advantage of it. It's going to be a helluva game."

The Ravens would fall 17-10 to the Chiefs, who would then defeat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Baltimore struggled on the ground in the matchup, only managing to gain 81 total rushing yards.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson led the team with 52 of those yards and he also led the team in rushing yards during the 2023 season. This may have helped him earn the MVP award but it was still a significant load for him to bear. Henry should be able to help that significantly.

Henry rushed for 1,167 yards with 12 touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans in 2023. He has exceeded 1,000 yards in five of the last six seasons, with the lone exception coming in an injury-shortened 2021 season where he had 937 yards in eight games.

The 30-year-old will add a new dynamic to a team that went 12-5 and finished with the No. 1 seed in the AFC. While he couldn't help out last postseason, he very well could get a similar chance this time around.

He will make his debut for the franchise on Sept. 5 when Baltimore travels to Kansas City to take on those very Chiefs in the NFL's opening game.