Derrick Henry was a flat-out monster this season. The Tennessee Titans running back racked up an NFL-best 1,540 rushing yards to go along with 16 touchdowns during the regular season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
He then gashed the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for 182 and 195 yards, respectively, in the Titans' first two playoff games against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens before ultimately falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
But on Monday, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said he was not so much as impressed with Henry's breakout campaign as he was with his improved leadership skills:
For everything Derrick Henry’s done for the #Titans this season, Mike Vrabel said he was most proud of his improved leadership. pic.twitter.com/Iy0yjSxGZd
— Erik Bacharach (@ErikBacharach) January 20, 2020
Here's the problem for the Titans: Henry is set to be a free agent this offseason, and he is probably in for a record-breaking contract.
The good news is that Tennessee should have the cap room to absorb him. The bad news is that the Titans also have other free agents on their roster—such as Ryan Tannehill—that they will need to re-sign.
Henry, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by Tennessee in the second round (45th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He had a relatively quiet rookie campaign, finishing with 490 yards and five scores on the ground, registering 4.5 yards per attempt. Henry then totaled 744 yards and five touchdowns in 2017, logging 4.2 yards per tote before hitting the 1,000-yard mark in 2018 when he recorded 1,059 yards while reaching the end zone 12 times as a rusher.
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