3 reasons why Derrick Henry won't lead the NFL in rushing
Before Derrick Henry fell to the turf at the midway point of the NFL season last year, the star running back was considered the best in his position in the entire league. With 937 rushing yards in only eight games, he was well on his way to not only leading the NFL in that category, but by a considerable margin.
Ultimately, Henry pushed through the pain of his season-ending injury and attacked his rehab stint much like he attacked defenders on the field. Despite fighting his way back onto the field, the Tennessee Titans were shown the door in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals.
With an entire offseason to prepare, Henry is ostensibly a man on a mission. Still, while he continues to drop small snippets of himself in the weight room, we’re dubious about him leading the NFL in rushing for the third time in four seasons this year. Let’s dive into the reasons why.
#3 Jonathan Taylor
As Derrick Henry acrimoniously watched his fellow running backs from the sidelines, one of his peers separated from the crowd. That man was Jonathan Taylor.
With the Indianapolis Colts refusing to hand the reins of their team to then-starting quarterback Carson Wentz, Taylor emerged as their offensive leader. On nearly every drive, Wentz stepped back into the pocket, handed Taylor the ball, and watched as he took care of the rest. In 17 games, Taylor’s numbers dwarfed the competition.
Taylor rushed for 1,811 yards, 552 yards more than second-place Nick Chubb. Taylor also led the league in rushing touchdowns with 18.
Although Henry has held the mythical title as the best back in the NFL for the past handful of years, only once has he eclipsed the 1,800 yard mark. That was during his fifth season in the league, a feat Taylor has just accomplished in his second.
Even at full strength and firing on all cylinders, Henry will struggle to wrestle away his rushing title from the hands of Taylor this upcoming season.
#2 Trying to keep him healthy
At the age of 28, Derrick Henry presumably has plenty left in the tank. With his recent history of back-to-back seasons leading the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, the nasty injury he suffered at the halfway mark of last season doesn't appear to be a long-lasting issue.
Even if Henry can avoid the injury bug going forward, the Titans will look to avoid placing him in dangerous situations. In 2019 and 2020, Tennessee handed the running back a heavy workload. Although he responded just fine to carrying the ball over 300 times, 303 in 2019 and 378 in 2020, He racked up 219 rushing yards through only eight games last season, putting him on pace for roughly 450, a number that would have ranked number one all-time.
To preserve his body and keep him healthy down the stretch, the Titans could look to lessen his workload to prevent wear and tear in his later years. Perhaps this is why they selected Hassan Haskins II in the 2022 NFL draft. The former Michigan Wolverine looks to be an incredible prospect for Tennessee.
Henry is a brazen runner. Seldom does he look to avoid oncoming rushers and instead, often chooses to meet physical contact head-on. Although entertaining, the Titans could step in and try to save him from himself by somewhat lessening his workload.
#1 More balanced offense
There are no secrets, mirages or tricks when playing against the Tennessee Titans. While Ryan Tannehill has turned himself into a respectable starting quarterback, the offense is primarily run through their superstar running back.
In 2020, the Titans attempted an average of 30.3 passing attempts per game in comparison to 32.5 rushing attempts per game. Even with Henry missing the majority of the season last year, the Titans were still a heavily based running team.
Although their willingness to muck games up while forcing opposing teams to adjust to their physicality has led to double-digit victories in consecutive seasons and playoff berths in four of the past five years, they’ve been stymied during the postseason.
Across the NFL, pass-friendly offenses have ruled the day. The Kansas City Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams relied heavily on their quarterback's arm to lead them to victory. Tannehill isn’t on the same level as Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady or Matthew Stafford, but with more offensive balance, the Titans could see more success.
In doing so, Henry won’t be given the ball more than 350 times during the season. It may hurt his statical value, but in the long run, the Titans could see more long-term success.
It will be exciting to see the running back in action when the 2022 NFL season kicks off later this year.