Ever since Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill received a four-year, $118 million extension earlier this offseason, the debate has raged on about if he deserved it, and if he should have gotten one before running back Derrick Henry.
Of course, Henry ended up getting the franchise tag, but the Titans still have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with their back, otherwise he’ll have to play out the 2020 campaign on the one-year tag, which pays him $10.2 million.
There’s no question that Henry is the heart and soul of the Titans’ offense after he carried the team to a pair of playoff wins during a 2019 season in which he led the NFL in rushing.
On the flip side of that argument, the Titans were a lowly 2-4 team six games into the campaign when Tannehill took over and helped turn the season around by leading the Titans to seven wins in their last 10 contests.
Well, if you ask former Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal, he says “it’s not even close” in terms of who is more valuable and he believes Henry deserved to get paid before Tannehill, as he explained on Jared and the G.M. on ESPN 102.5 The Game.
Titans great @LorenzoNeal joined @JaredStillman & The GM Floyd Reese to discuss the team's offseason. LoNeal wasn't shy about who he thinks should've been paid first between Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill.
Hear the full interview anytime on Apple Pods:https://t.co/mS4KV4BADA pic.twitter.com/0OFj2PMjrN
— ESPN 102.5 The Game (@1025TheGame) July 4, 2020
The deal Tannehill signed was substantial given that he’s only played 10 regular season games in Tennessee, but that’s just the reality of the quarterback market in this day and age.
And, while the number seems astronomical for such a short sample size, his average salary is still only ranked ninth among quarterbacks (it’ll be 10th once Patrick Mahomes signs his extension).
In reality, both players deserved to get paid after the sensational seasons they put together last year. Both Tannehill and Henry were elite at their respective positions and the Titans don’t make the run they did without one or the other.
The Titans have made it clear they want to keep Henry around and have been talking about an extension with him this offseason, but it’s also important that the team signs their back at fair value.
If the Alabama product is asking to be the highest-paid back in the NFL or something close to it, it’s naturally going to prolong the negotiations, as he simply doesn’t bring as much to the table as an Ezekiel Elliot or Christian McCaffrey.