In a list ranking the top 32 running backs in the league going into the 2022 season, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry landed just inside the top three.
The rankings by Pro Football Network place Henry at No. 3 on the list, behind the Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor (No. 1) and the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb.
After being overworked for years, Derrick Henry finally proved mortal. A foot fracture forced him to miss the second half of the regular season, but he did make it back in time for the Titans’ Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Henry amassed a gargantuan 321 touches in 2019 and 397 in 2020, and he was heading towards an even larger total in 2021. Through eight games, Henry had posted 237 touches, good for 29.63 per game. At that rate, even over a 16-game season (as he played in 2019 and 2020), Henry would have collected 474 touches, the second-most by an RB since 1970 behind only James Wilder’s 492-touch 1984 campaign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With A.J. Brown no longer around, the Titans may be tempted to heavily lean on Henry again next season. He’s clearly the beating heart of Tennessee’s offense, but the team should be cautious as Henry enters his age-28 campaign.
