There is a decent chance that the Tennessee Titans will look to pull off a Derrick Henry trade ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
Tennessee sits at 2-4 on the season and in last place in the AFC South. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is sidelined for some time after suffering a high-ankle sprain in a Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, Henry is slated to hit NFL free agency in March. One would imagine him joining a contender as the two-time rushing champion hits the back end of his prime.
A number of contending teams will have interest in Henry should he hit the trade block here in the next two weeks. Despite his relatively advanced age of 29 for a running back, Henry is still going strong (542 total yards, 3 TD in six games this season). Below, we look at four ideal Derrick Henry trade scenarios.
Los Angeles Chargers bring in reinforcement at running back
Is Austin Ekeler a solid all-around running back? Sure. Has he been consistent since the start of last season? Not so much. After missing three games to injury earlier this year, Ekeler returned against the Dallas Cowboys last week (14 attempts, 27 yards). This represented the 11th time Ekeler has rushed for under 40 yards in his past 19 outings.
- Derrick Henry career stats: 8,760 rushing yards, 4.7 average, 1,361 receiving yards, 84 total TD
Henry doesn’t have the same consistency issues and would be an absolute boon for a quarterback in Justin Herbert who is being tasked with leading a one dimensional offense. King Henry averaged 1,729 total yards in the four seasons leading up to the 2023 campaign. It’s time for the Chargers to make a move. Henry would represent an ideal fit in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s system.
Derrick Henry lands with the surprising Houston Texans
The Houston Texans as a playoff team? Well, DeMeco Ryans’ squad is one last second Atlanta Falcons field goal from being 4-2 on the season. Either way, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and Co. are playing stellar football at 3-3 on the campaign.
One issue has been running the ball with second-year back Dameon Pierce (2.9 yards per rush) struggling on the season. Whether Tennessee would even think about trading Henry to a division rival remains to be seen. Houston might have to offer up more than other teams. But we absolutely love the fit of this veteran teaming up in the Texans’ backfield with Stroud.
Related: Updated NFL trade rumors
Buffalo Bills surprise with Derrick Henry trade
Buffalo was linked to the likes of Dalvin Cook and other big-name running backs heading into the 2023 season. Instead, it opted to move off Devin Singletary in free agency while going with second-year back James Cook as the starter.
To an extent, it has worked out. Cook is on pace for north of 1,000 rushing yards and is averaging 4.8 yards per tote. This has enabled Josh Allen to run less than in previous seasons.
Even then, bringing in Henry as a rental would create another dimension for the Bills’ high-flying offense. His ability to get consistent first downs (20 on 98 attempts this season) would help Buffalo extend drives. It would also create major issues for defenses in containing star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Kansas City Chiefs pull off another blockbuster trade
The Chiefs like what they have in second-year back Isiah Pacheco. For good reason. He’s been a darn good performer this season (387 rushing yards, 4.4 average). But is he as dynamic as the current iteration of Henry? We’re not too sure about that.
- Derrick Henry contract: 4 years, $50 million; $10.5 million base in 2023
As with the Bills, adding Henry to the mix to go with another stud quarterback in Patrick Mahomes would create a ton of mismatches. Add him to go with Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs’ somewhat struggling offense would take off. Meanwhile, we know Kansas City general manager Brett Veach is not afraid to pull off blockbuster trades of this ilk.