Ravens to signal ex-Titans RB Derrick Henry, sources say

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The NFL’s most efficient operating again over the previous decade will be part of the league’s No. 1 speeding assault.

The Baltimore Ravens reached a two-year, $16 million settlement with Derrick Henry, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal may very well be price as much as $20 million, together with $9 million assured within the first yr, the sources informed Schefter.

The deal pairs the two-time NFL speeding champion with the league’s reigning Most Precious Participant in quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens tried to commerce for Henry earlier than final yr’s commerce deadline.

Henry, 30, remained out there on the free agent market longer than anticipated. Earlier than Henry joined Baltimore, 10 different free agent operating backs had reached offers within the first two days of the NFL’s negotiating window.

The Ravens, who led the NFL with 2,661 yards speeding final season, wanted a beginning operating again as a result of J.Ok. Dobbins and Gus Edwards have been each free brokers. On Monday, Edwards agreed to a two-year, $7 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Henry may reduce the load for Jackson, who has led the Ravens in speeding in every of the previous 5 seasons. In Jackson’s six seasons, just one operating again has gained over 1,000 yards speeding in Baltimore (Mark Ingram in 2019). Henry has rushed for over 1,000 yards in 5 of his previous six seasons, together with topping the NFL in 2019 and 2020.

Bringing in Henry is the Ravens’ first main addition in free company. Earlier than reaching a take care of Henry, the Ravens had six of their free brokers signal elsewhere: Edwards (Chargers), security Geno Stone (Bengals), vast receiver Devin Duvernay (Jaguars), guard John Simpson (Jets), cornerback Ronald Darby (Jaguars) and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (Texans).

Henry solidified himself as one of many all-time nice Titans gamers over his eight-year profession in Tennessee. Solely Eddie George (10,009) has extra speeding yards than Henry’s 9,502 over his profession. Henry’s 90 speeding touchdowns is tied with Corridor of Fame operating backs Curtis Martin and Eric Dickerson for the thirteenth most.

The Titans moved on from Henry on Monday once they agreed to a three-year contract with operating again Tony Pollard.

Regardless of enjoying behind a poor offensive line, Henry completed second within the NFL final season with 1,167 speeding yards. He added 12 speeding touchdowns as effectively. Henry’s last sport of the 2023 season, wherein he rushed for 153 yards and hit 21.7 mph on the GPS, confirmed there may be nonetheless stellar soccer left in his profession.

In 2020, Henry was named the NFL Offensive Participant of the 12 months, an Related Press first-team All-Professional and, for the second consecutive season, FedEx Floor Participant of the 12 months after main the NFL with a franchise-record 2,027 speeding yards. He turned the eighth participant in NFL historical past to eclipse 2,000 speeding yards in a season. His 2,027 speeding yards gave him the fifth-highest complete in NFL historical past behind Dickerson’s 2,105 (1984), Adrian Peterson’s 2,097 (2012), Jamal Lewis’ 2,066 (2003) and Barry Sanders’ 2,053 (1997).

In 2021, Henry led the NFL with 937 speeding yards and 10 speeding touchdowns within the first eight weeks of the season earlier than a foot harm derailed a possible second 2,000-yard speeding season. Henry nonetheless completed within the high 10 regardless of lacking 9 video games.

Henry was named to the Professional Bowl for the fourth time in his profession final season. The Titans chosen him within the second spherical of the 2016 draft out of Alabama. Henry was the catalyst in Alabama profitable the nationwide championship in 2015 when he gained the Heisman Trophy.

ESPN’s Turron Davenport contributed to this report.