Derrick Henry Signs $10.2 Million Franchise Tender With Titans

Running back Derrick Henry signed a $10.2 million franchise tender with the Titans on Thursday, a move that was initially reported by ESPN's Diana Russini and Adam Schefter and later confirmed by the team. 

Henry and the team are "still committed to working for a long-term extension," per Russini and Schefter. The two sides have until July 15 to complete an extension, otherwise Henry will play under the franchise tag in 2020 before entering free agency.

The Alabama product led the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in 2019. He tallied 446 rushing yards in three playoff games, nearly crossing 200 rushing yards in each of Tennessee's first two postseason matchups. 

The Titans have been active keeping their offensive core intact during the offseason. Tennessee and quarterback Ryan Tannehill agreed to a four-year, $118 million extension before free agency opened on March 15, with the deal fully guaranteeing Tannehill $62 million.

Tennessee finished second in the AFC South in 2019 at 9–7 before defeating the Patriots and the Ravens in the playoffs. The Titans lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. 

Analysis from David Boclair of AllTitans: General manager Jon Robinson acknowledged in a conference call with local media this week that using the franchise tag often creates bad feelings, but he said he had gotten no indication of such with Henry. The running back's decision to sign his tender eliminates a lot of drama as the sides continue to work toward a long-term extension. 

Henry is seventh among all running backs with 804 rushing attempts over the past four seasons—by comparison, Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott has 1,169. That relatively low usage should alleviate much of the anxiety a team typically faces when it comes to second contracts for running backs. So yes, Henry is under contract for 2020, but all signs point to a deal that will go beyond that.