The Baltimore Ravens are incredibly familiar with the Tennessee Titans, as the two teams have been significant rivals for almost three decades. While the rivalry has died down since the AFC Central days, both teams have come out victorious in crucial victories over the other that have broken each other’s hearts.
One key game between Baltimore and Tennessee was in 2019 when the Titans defeated the Ravens in the Divisional Round in a massive upset. Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta talked about how he’s glad to have Henry on his side now after the disappointing end to 2019, in which Henry had a significant role.
“So, I’ll tell you, in 2019, we played that [AFC Divisional Round against the Titans], and it was just a gut-wrenching performance. I think we all kind of realized that. But I was at the Senior Bowl, and I left the Senior Bowl and met our team – our coaching staff and a lot of players at the Pro Bowl. I had the chance as a general manager to just observe. And I saw Derrick [Henry] that week, and I watched him, and I watched how the other players related to him. I watched and saw his humility. This is a guy who ran for like – I don’t know how many yards that season – and all the players kind of gravitated towards him that week, and it was a tremendous respect. That resonated with me as a guy who scouts for a living, and having the chance to kind of step aside and watch his career unfold, it’s been very impressive to me.”
Henry is widely respected around the NFL, and DeCosta’s story proves as much. The veteran provides plenty of value on the field, but the Ravens are an organization that has proven they value what a player brings off of it, and Henry checks off a lot of those boxes.