Derrick Henry Signs Contract Extension with Tennessee Titans
Tuesday, the “word” on sports-talk radio shows concerning the Tennessee Titans was that they were not going to be able to ink a long-term deal with running back Derrick Henry. What a difference a day makes! Henry and the Titans agreed on an extension Wednesday hours before signing deadlines.
It’s a four-year 50 million dollar contract that keeps the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the Music City.
photo credit: Jack Kurzenknabe (www.nflsketches.com)
The deal seems to be less than Henry was asking and more than the Titans wanted to pay according to some reports. That’s called negotiating. However, the money works out that the Titans can afford to retain both their running back and QB Ryan Tannehill.
Hopefully, both players will have the same type of season that helped a struggling Titans franchise rally into a stronger, often dominant, team.
Last season Tannehill had a 70.3 completion rate throwing for 2,742 yards and 22 touchdowns. Henry rushed for 1,540 yards averaging 5.1 yards per carry, with 16 rushing and 2 passing touchdowns.
If you don’t think running back numbers matter, consider this. Last season the Titans went 9-7 during the regular season and 2-1 in the playoffs. In every Titan loss (8), Henry was held to under 100 yards. Henry was over 100 yards in 8 of 11 wins.
During a Zoom interview posted on Tennesseetitans.com, Henry spoke on some speculating that the Titans saved money on his deal and that he may have signed for less than he could have.
“I just thought the deal made sense for me,” Henry said. “And if it gives us more room to bring in somebody else to help this team, I am all for it. Any time you can improve your team at positions that we need, it is always a big benefit. Hopefully, if my deal possibly did that – hopefully, we can bring somebody in that can help this team improve us more.”
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