OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It was solely the Baltimore Ravens’ second follow of coaching camp, and working again Derrick Henry heard the identical query he has been requested ever since turning 30 in January: How a lot does his age function motivation?
Henry replied that he would “let my play communicate for my age.”
Two months later, Henry is placing up numbers that Walter Payton and Adrian Peterson final achieved at his age. Via 4 video games, Henry is main the NFL with 480 yards dashing. His emergence within the Baltimore offense has gotten the Ravens, who had been 0-2 previous to wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Payments, again on monitor as Tremendous Bowl contenders.
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Henry has taken on the age of 30 like one other would-be tackler, stiff-arming it with a dedication that teammates and coaches admire. His manufacturing on the sphere comes from his work ethic on the follow subject, his offseason coaching and a inflexible weight loss plan.
“He is a really diligent individual,” Ravens offensive sort out Ronnie Stanley stated. “He is aware of all of the issues he must do to play at that degree. And he does not miss a day. He is simply at all times working.”
After spending eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Henry sees his first yr with Baltimore as a brand new period. However Henry appears to be like like the identical playmaker, working over defenders together with his 6-foot-3, 247-pound body after which working away from them with velocity that’s uncommon for somebody his dimension and age.
In Sunday’s 35-10 victory over the Payments, Henry’s 199 yards dashing are probably the most by a participant 30 or older since Peterson in 2015. On the sport’s first play — which the Ravens name “Purple Crunch” — Henry went untouched for an 87-yard landing, reaching a high velocity of 21.29 mph.
Henry, who ran for 151 yards towards the Cowboys, and Payton are the one gamers 30 or older to hurry for greater than 150 yards in consecutive video games since 1970, in line with ESPN Analysis. It is Henry’s second-best begin to a season since 2021, when he rushed for 510 yards within the first 4 video games.
“He is a heck of a participant, future Corridor of Famer,” Payments coach Sean McDermott stated after Sunday’s sport. “Give him his credit score.”
Henry’s age doubtless factored in him touchdown in Baltimore. He remained on the free agent market longer than anticipated and watched 10 different — and youthful — working backs attain offers within the first two days of the NFL’s negotiating window.
The Ravens, who did not have a lot wage cap area, had been capable of signal Henry to a two-year, $16 million contract. His $9 million in assured cash ranked behind these of 5 working backs who signed free agent offers this yr: the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley ($26 million), Chicago Bears’ D’Andre Swift ($15.3 million), Inexperienced Bay Packers’ Josh Jacobs ($12.5 million), Tennessee Titans’ Tony Pollard ($10.49 million) and New York Giants’ Devin Singletary ($9.5 million).
Ravens coach John Harbaugh stated Monday that the workforce did not see it as a lot of threat to usher in Henry regardless of his age.
“He is only a very powerful human being,” Harbaugh stated. “Actually, the proof is within the outcomes, and also you sort of go by what you see. So after we had been evaluating the potential of bringing him in right here, I simply suppose we checked out how he is been enjoying. And to see that proceed on clearly is nice, however we did count on him to play this manner.”
The Ravens have been equally impressed with what they’ve seen with Henry past the tape. He not often missed a day throughout spring exercises, and when he wasn’t there, he texted working backs coach Willie Taggart about what he missed. Henry is among the first starters on the follow subject every single day, working his personal drills off to the aspect whereas Baltimore is engaged on particular groups on one other subject.
Away from the power, Henry estimated that he spends practically $250,000 a yr on physique upkeep, from a private chef to a sauna to therapeutic massage remedy. He determined to spend this a lot after studying LeBron James invests over $1 million yearly on his physique upkeep.
“I do not actually attempt to deal with the stigma on working backs,” Henry stated. “I simply consider in my coaching and the participant I’m, and simply attempt to exit and execute and assist this workforce in any method potential.”
There was uncertainty about Henry’s degree of manufacturing when he arrived in Baltimore. He’s coming off a season wherein he recorded 68.6 dashing yards per sport and 4.2 yards per carry, each of which had been his lowest since 2018.
However final season, Henry performed behind a struggling Titans offensive line. His common of 1.95 dashing yards earlier than first contact ranked thirty fifth within the NFL.
This season, as soon as the Ravens’ revamped offensive line discovered its footing by Week 3, Henry has discovered some working lanes. His common of three.84 yards earlier than first contact with Baltimore ranks fourth within the league.
“The fact is he does not want a lot room to run,” Ravens offensive sort out Roger Rosengarten stated. “For those who give him a bit sliver of area, he’ll reap the benefits of it.”
Henry’s NFL-leading 480 yards dashing are probably the most within the first 4 weeks of a season by a participant 30 or older in twenty years. Former New York Jets working again Curtis Martin recorded 502 yards dashing within the first 4 weeks of the 2004 season.
When the Ravens go to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET), Henry will even be getting ready to historical past. He wants 18 yards to turn out to be the thirty second participant to run for 10,000 in his profession.
The Ravens see Henry’s physicality as a part of their offensive identification and consider it is contagious.
“It makes you need to play more durable,” Professional Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard stated. “It makes you need to block as onerous as you’ll be able to, simply because you understand [that] every time [Henry] will get the ball, he’ll simply get a bunch of yards. He is named ‘King Henry’ for a cause.”
