Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has surfaced in NFL trade rumors with the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline approaching. With the Titans fading early, the All-Pro running back would seemingly be the final piece that could help put a few teams over the top.
Henry, who turns 30 years old in January, is still a very effective ball-carrier. Entering NFL games today, he’s averaging 4.3 yards per carry and 70.8 rushing yards per game. While it’s still a steep drop-off from his statistics as an All-Pro, he remains one of the best running backs in football.
- Derrick Henry career stats: 8,760 rushing yards, 81 rushing touchdowns, 4.7 yards per carry
As for the Titans, the team is headed nowhere. Already towards the bottom of the NFL standings, starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is now poised to miss multiple games with a high-ankle sprain. It puts an already struggling football team in a perilous position moving forward.
While Henry and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins have both been rumored as 2023 NFL trade candidates, it appears the likelihood of Henry being moved out of Tennessee is very unlikely.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network explained why it’s unlikely that another NFL team will trade for Henry this season.
“I don’t know if there’s a lot of people who want to trade for a running back or that contract and that’s part of the problem this time of year. Who actually has money? Who has space? I think that’s an issue. I would be surprised if something like that happens, especially with a trade for really any running back, honestly.”
Ian Rapoport on the possibility of Tennessee Titans trading Derrick Henry
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Henry currently carries a $16.367 million contract for the current season. While it’s only a one-year deal, the cap hit a team would have to take is much higher than any general manager is comfortable with.
While teams like the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens might seem like ideal landing spots for Henry, neither is in a favorable position to acquire him. Buffalo has less than $2 million in cap space right now and Baltimore sits under $6.6 million.
For a running back whose yard-per-carry average has dropped by 1.1 since the 2020 season, that cap hit and the draft-pick compensation required in a deal make it unlikely Henry is traded.