Calvin Ridley Reinstated; Titans Reportedly Trying to Move Derrick Henry

The former Heisman Trophy running back is one of many high-profile players who may be on the move this offseason.

Christopher Walsh | Mar 6, 2023

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

As free agency begins to ramp up roughly a week before it officially opens in the National Football League, a report indicated that one of the biggest names from the University of Alabama could soon be on the move.

According to former Sports Illustrated writer Michael Silver, of Bally Sports, the Tennessee Titans are shopping running back Derrick Henry to gauge interest.

“According to my sources – all of them current general managers – Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins are among players who’ve been shopped,” Silver wrote.

Meanwhile, former Crimson Tide wide receiver Calvin Ridley was fully reinstated by the the league on Monday.

Ridley, had been suspended indefinitely since March 2022 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. During his suspension, he was traded from the Atlanta Falcons to the Jacksonville Jaguars in November.

Part of the deal had been conditional on Ridley being reinstated. Atlanta now will get a 2024 second-round pick in addition to a 2023 fifth-round selection.

The 28-year-old is eligible to participate in all team activities, effective immediately. The former first-round draft pick has 3,061 career yards and 26 touchdowns 217 catches.

Age is likely playing a part in Henry being made available as he's 29, and most running backs start to significantly slow down around 30.

Last season Henry played in 16 games and rushed for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns, while being edged by Josh Jacobs for the league rushing titles. He's topped 1,000 yards four of the last five seasons.

He was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2020, but his yards per carry average dropped from 5.4 that season to 4.4 this past season as the Titans didn't have the same complement of receivers with Julio Jones and A.J. Brown no longer on the team.

2023 NFL free agency officially starts March 15 at 3 p.m. CT, which coincides with the start of the new league year.

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

See Also: