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Jerry Jones Says Derrick Henry Wouldn’t Be Having ‘Career Year’ in Cowboys’ Offense

Kristen Wong

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Derrick Henry has been enjoying a resurgent year on the Baltimore Ravens this season, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remains staunchly adamant that his team’s offseason decision to pass on the veteran running back was the right one.

Jones on Monday joined 105.3 The FAN for his weekly appearance on the sports radio show, and this time, things went much more smoothly between Jones and the Dallas radio hosts. 

Jones gave Henry his flowers for what he’s accomplished on the Ravens so far but added that he didn’t know if Henry would have been as successful in Mike McCarthy’s offense.

“In my mind, we’re not playing very good football right now at all, and that’s beyond whether or not we have Derrick Henry,” Jones said Tuesday. “Derrick is having a career year. I don’t know if he’d be having that career year in our situation, and that’s really something you do have to look at. Because if he had not had as many carries as our running backs have had, then he certainly probably wouldn’t have attained the level of impact he’s had. 

“He’s a real good complement to the type of offense [the Ravens] run. We don’t run that type of offense at all. Our situation is more about holding your blocks, it’s more about not making mistakes… I like our talent, I really do like our talent. I like our young talent.”

Jones also doubled down on his reasons for not signing Henry in the offseason, saying that the star running back didn’t fit because of “managing the cap.” 

In March, Henry signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Ravens in a move that both he and Baltimore have hugely profited from so far this season. In his age 30 season, Henry boasts a league-leading 873 yards and eight rushing touchdowns through six games. 

The Cowboys, who are currently averaging a league-worst 77.2 rushing yards per game, perhaps could have shelled out some extra cash for a big-bodied runner like Henry to move the sticks, but Jones clearly doesn’t regret his decision. Even if he did, he likely wouldn’t ever publicly admit it. 

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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