Concerning Super Bowl Trend for Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans fans who want to see the team win a Super Bowl with Derrick Henry leading them should prepare for sadness based on this 14-year trend in the big game.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans haven’t been to the Super Bowl in over 20 years. Everyone in the organization and in the fan base would love to see them get back to the big game AND find a way to win. Unfortunately, a recent trend does not bode well for them if they want to win a championship while being led by star running back Derrick Henry.

Take a look at the leading rusher from the last 14 Super Bowls and their base salary: pic.twitter.com/sBC97Upzh0

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 13, 2023

As you can see from the tweet, championship level teams find a way to get production at the running back position with cheap options. This is an example of a larger trend at the position that sees less workhorse backs and more running back by committee. It has become easier than ever to find productive backs in the draft or get what you need from cheap veterans.

This brings us to the concern for Titans fans. Derrick Henry is set to have a $16 million cap hit this season. Having such a large chunk of money tied up at the running back spot makes it difficult to have the type of roster needed to make the Super Bowl and win it. When most successful teams are spending so little at the position, paying a back that much can be seen as quite the disadvantage.

The reality is, as mentioned above, it is just much easier to find adequate production through more cost-effective methods. Running back is just not as valuable of a position as it used to be. Positions like quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and wide receiver are all better places to put your big contracts and valuable draft picks.

This isn’t to say the Titans CAN’T win a championship with Derrick Henry, but based on the trend, it would seem to be much more difficult and the position groups mentioned above will inevitably suffer. Look at a team like the Dallas Cowboys, for example. They gave a monster deal to Ezekiel Elliot(6 years, $90 Million total) and are having trouble winning at the highest levels. If you asked the fans of the Cowboys, most would tell you they would be thrilled to be out of that deal.

Titans fans, generally, do not feel the same about Henry, who is a more productive player than Elliot at this point, but the fact still remains that putting that much money into the running back spot seems ill-advised. Henry went for 1,538 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns in 2022 behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. He is still one of the elites at the position.

The concern is not about Henry's talent, but rather that even if the running back is great, paying them what Henry makes is tough to overcome. Will the Titans be able to break the mold and bring a title to Nashville with Henry still as the heart of the team? No one can know what the future holds, but it is fair to be skeptical.

FILM ROOM FRIDAY: What does Tim Kelly have in store for the Titans offense? CLICK HERE

POTENTIAL CAP CUTS: The Tennessee Titans will need to make some tough decisions in the coming weeks and have to cut some veteran players to get cap compliant by March 15th. CLICK HERE

Top Three Defensive Needs: Andrew Thomison looks at the top three positions of need for the Titans entering the 2023 season. CLICK HERE