When the Tennessee Titans take the field for their season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, it could very well be the last game running back Derrick Henry plays in the two-tone blue.
Henry is set to be a free agent in 2024 and there’s been no indication one way or the other if the Titans plan on bringing him back, or if he even wants to return.
When asked about the possibility of this being his last game with the Titans, Henry said he’s trying to approach it like any other.
“I would just treat it as any other game,” Henry said, per John Glennon of Nashville Post. “I’m not trying to get too caught up or too overwhelmed and just enjoy the moment, focus on finishing the season strong, going out there playing a good game overall as a team and hopefully getting a win.”
“There will definitely be a moment, last game of the season, I’ll be a free agent after this year, and I’ve been here eight years,” Henry added, per Jim Wyatt. “I’ll just be grateful to whoever shows up, and I know the fans will come out. Hopefully we can finish the season strong.”
Henry said that while he would like to stick in Nashville and finish his career with one team, he understands the business side of things that could lead to his exit.
“Any player would love to play for an organization, finish out their career as long as they can,” Henry said. “But there’s a business side and all those types of things that go on, and I understand that. We’ll just see how it shakes out during the offseason.”
One of the concerns about bringing Henry back is that he just turned 30 on Jan. 4, which is considered the red line for running backs breaking down.
And we’ve definitely seen Henry lose a step this season, but the bigger issue has been the run-blocking upfront, which has been dreadful.
Despite the aforementioned issues, Henry still managed to make the cut for the 2024 Pro Bowl, his fourth-career nod. And, while he’s happy with the honor, Henry says he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the season he had.
“A great honor to be recognized for your play, which I’m not too proud of this year,” Henry said, according to Paul Kuharsky. “But from your peers and everybody that voted, I really appreciate it and very grateful to have my fourth selection. I don’t take it for granted at all.”
Henry’s play certainly wasn’t what we’ve come to expect, but the fact he was still able to break the 1,000-yard mark with everything that went wrong with this offense is quite an accomplishment and shows he’s definitely still got something left in the tank.
Regardless of the necessary disclaimers that come with Henry’s season, the veteran back says this campaign has motivated him to come back better in 2024.
“Sometimes you need a year like this to be able to grow, to be able to learn, to be able to reflect,” Henry said. “I am definitely going to do that once this season is over. If I wasn’t fueled before, I am definitely more fueled now, definitely more hungry.
“Going into this offseason, I am going to attack it as hard as I can. At the end of the day, it is about being consistent and playing at a high level. I am my worst critic, so I am going to be hard on myself regardless.”
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