What FA Derrick Henry Meant By Saying Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott Contract 'Is The Floor'

What Tennessee Titans Free Agent (And NFL Rushing Champ) Running Back Derrick Henry Actually Meant By Saying That The Dallas Cowboys Contract With Ezekiel Elliott 'Is The Floor'

Something got lost in translation in the days leading up to the Super Bowl when Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry fielded a leading question about Ezekiel Elliott and the contract Henry, now a free agent, might be seeking.

Henry was a guest on The Rich Eisen Show and Eisen asked if the six-year, $90-million contract the Dallas Cowboys gave running back Ezekiel Elliott a year ago would be "the floor'' for what he’s looking for in a contract.

"Zeke number is the floor." -@KingHenry_2 told us what he's expecting come #NFL free agency:#Titans #RESMiami #SuperBowlLIV pic.twitter.com/sXvCao4prk

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 31, 2020

Henry responded in the affirmative, echoing back, "Zeke's number is the floor.''

Eisen's eyebrows raised; he had a scoop! And the AFC Championship Game finalist Tennessee Titans' figurative eyebrows probably raised, too, because maybe they were not aware of such a demand, maybe because they have no intention of meeting such a demand.

But it seems there was a communication gap between what Eisen was asking (which was obvious) and what Henry heard and misunderstood, as the NFL rushing champ explained via an Instagram post (h/t @TwoToneBlueNat1 on Twitter).

Here’s the clarity from Henry:

Misinterpreted what he said , thought he was saying “Zeke is the floor” , meaning he holds the floor as him being the highest paid at our position . So I was replying yes lol oh well

Eventually, it's quite possible that Henry's representatives will seek a Zeke-sized contract for their client, who is the backbone of a contending Titans team. Eventually, the Titans will have to make the sort of difficult decision that Dallas made regarding whether to "overpay a running back.'' But for now? Ezekiel Elliott "holds the floor'' for all running backs.

And we'll soon find out if $90 million "is the floor'' for King Henry.