For Titans fans, what's worse than seeing Derrick Henry leave? Seeing him go to the Ravens
If it's not one nightmare scenario for Tennessee Titans fans, it might be the other.
Running back Derrick Henry, the four-time Pro Bowl star who has functioned as the face of the franchise through some of its best years — and belongs in the conversation as possibly the best player in team history — hits free agency for the first time on Wednesday. After eight seasons, 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns, the 30-year-old is free to move on from Nashville and sign anywhere that'll have him.
Starting Monday, Henry's agents can negotiate on his behalf with teams other than the Titans. And as much as Titans fans everywhere dread it, the Baltimore Ravens keep coming up as Henry's likeliest destination. USA TODAY predicts Henry will sign with Baltimore. So do Sports Illustrated, the Sporting News and Bleacher Report. BetMGM gives the Ravens the best odds of signing Henry. So does DraftKings.
Obviously, predictions and odds mean only so much. But the fit is obvious. And Henry himself has said the main quality he's looking for in his next team is a chance to contend. The marriage makes sense. As painful as it might be for Titans fans to see Henry wearing purple and black, it's a reality to brace for.
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Why Derrick Henry to the Baltimore Ravens makes sense
Rehashing the history between the Titans and Ravens is a mild form of torture for many Tennesseans. The playoff losses in 2001, 2009 and 2021 are defining memories for three distinct micro-generations of Titans fans. The Ravens gave refuge to past Titans icons Steve McNair, Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle. In 2020, the year Henry rushed for 2,000 yards, former Titans corner Malcolm Butler had a pregame altercation with Ravens coach John Harbaugh, and in the playoff loss a few months later, Ravens corner Marcus Peters was fined for taunting the Titans after his game-sealing interception.
Animosity aside, the Henry-Ravens marriage makes a ton of sense. The team has the NFL's most run-oriented offense. Running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are free agents. The Ravens have never shied away from adding older running backs like Melvin Gordon, Mark Ingram, Devonta Freeman or Latavius Murray.
And most importantly to Henry's interests, the Ravens are contenders.
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Henry will have to adapt if Baltimore is his destination. The Ravens haven't had a player carry 200 times or more since 2019; Henry has carried at least 215 times every year since 2018, including the season he played only eight games. He has averaged 21 carries per game the past five years; the Ravens didn't have a single player carry 20 times in any game last season.
But the Ravens do love running the football. They've led the league in rush attempts three of the past five seasons, and having a weapon like Henry to pace that attack is a huge asset.
Could Derrick Henry land with Philadelphia Eagles?
After the Ravens, DraftKings' odds list the Philadelphia Eagles as the second-likeliest team to sign Henry. Which, two years after the A.J. Brown trade and less than a year after the Kevin Byard trade, is a different kind of gut punch for Titans fans.
Again, the fit makes sense. The Eagles like running the ball. D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny and Boston Scott are free agents. Unlike the Ravens, the Eagles have a good chunk of salary cap space. And as bad as last season may have ended, they are definitely a contender.
Philadelphia doesn't have the same track record of signing older backs to short-term deals that Baltimore has. And the Ravens were the team most connected to Henry, in terms of interest, at the trade deadline.
There's bound to be more than one or two teams interested in Henry's services. Houston, Dallas and the Chargers make sense, Chicago is an interesting fit, and teams like the Raiders and Giants may need replacements for top-tier running backs of their own.
The only guarantee Titans fans can count on is that if and when Henry signs somewhere else, it's going to hurt.
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Tennessee Titans could lose Derrick Henry to Ravens in free agency
