TITANS GIVE ALL-PRO RB DERRICK HENRY $2 MILLION RAISE AFTER REWORKING CONTRACT
The Tennessee Titans have reworked All-Pro running back Derrick Henry’s contract, rewarding him with a $2 million raise in 2022, as per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The two-time NFL rushing yards leader will now earn $14 million this season, the most of any running back, including a $9 million signing bonus, $4 million in base salary, and $1 million in 46-man per-game roster bonuses. Henry was set to make $12 million this season before his contract was restructured. He will not have additional time added to his current contract meaning that the former Crimson Tide standout could be slated for an even bigger payday dependent on his performance this year as his contract comes to an end after the 2023 season.
In a salary cap move, the Tennessee Titans move money from next season to 2022 as Henry’s 2023 salary will drop to $10.5 million from $12.5 million. The catch on the restructure is that Henry needs to suit up in every game to get the full $2 million in new money. Half of the amount is dependent on the 2020 NFL Offensive Player of the Year staying healthy and avoiding injury, which given the position he plays can be an almost impossible task. The deal includes a couple of voidable years, for cap purposes. Otherwise, the contract hasn’t changed. Henry still has two years left on his contract after signing a four-year deal in 2020.
The two-time Pro Bowler is without a doubt the star player of the franchise and the most important player on offense for the team. Henry has put up over 7,600 scrimmage yards and 68 total touchdowns in just six seasons in the league and led the league in rushing attempts in 2019 and 2020. An all-world running back with incredible rushing ability and good pass catching skills, Henry is arguably the best running back in the league when healthy as proven by his 6,797 rushing yards and 65 rushing touchdowns together with his 846 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. The 28-year-old ranked 12th on the NFL’s top 100 player list of 2022.
The 6 foot 3, 247 lbs. running back is coming off of an injury-marred season in which he only played 8 regular season games before he suffered a broken bone in his foot against the Indianapolis Colts in week 8. Henry is looking to bounce back with a big 2023 and said at the start of minicamp in June that the injury fueled him in the offseason. “I get motivated by anything,” Henry said. “Someone could motivate me and wouldn’t even know it. The doubters, whatever they want to be, I am definitely motivated and ready to go. We’re going to see.”
Henry has been working to get back healthy and did not take reps with the first-team offense this week. He, instead, was working in the sand pit with assistant and strengthening coach, Brian Bell. “It’s real [the sand pit]. I love it,” Henry said. “It gets me in shape. It’s just good work. It’s good restricting running. You have to really dig, and it gets your legs burning.” The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner came back to only play one game in the postseason last year and still finished top 10 in the league in rushing yards with 937.
The Tennessee Titans added insurance at the running back position this offseason to try and relieve some of the workload off of Henry by drafting Hassan Haskins in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. The former Michigan man is a former first-team All-Big Ten and will battle for the second running back position with former undrafted rookie free agent and fifth-year running back Dontrell Hilliard. As it stands, the Titans will rotate options in the backfield with four running backs including Henry, Hilliard, Haskins and Julius Chestnut.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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