Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry carries the football during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.(Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Baltimore Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry to a two-year contract as an NFL free agent last offseason. After one season, has the former Alabama All-American already outplayed the $16 million deal?
At his end-of-season press conference, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said a contract extension wasn’t out of the question for Henry.
“We’ll look at that,” DeCosta said. “I think it’s a good question. I’m just so grateful that Derrick chose us last year. He came in and, I can honestly just say, his attitude and the way that he played was amazing to watch. His relationship with his teammates, his humility as a player, his work ethic — I can’t wait to see him next year. I know it was tough on him to end the way it did — tough on all of us.
“But I think we have a chip on our shoulders to come back next year with a vengeance, to start faster than we started this year, to not start 0-2 next year, to get out of the gates faster. I think Derrick will be a big part of that.”
Baltimore’s season ended in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs when the Ravens lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-25 on Jan. 19.
During the 2024 regular season, Henry ran for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns on 325 carries. His yardage total was the 11th-highest in a single season in NFL history, and his TD total tied for the league lead. With his two touchdowns scored on his 19 receptions for 193 yards, Henry set a franchise single-season record with 18 touchdowns in 2024.
In 2023, Henry averaged 68.6 rushing yards per game and 4.17 yards per carry and turned 30 years old three days before the regular-season finale.