Henry Offers Opportunity for Titans to Finally Get It Right

Long-term deals for two other running backs, Eddie George and Chris Johnson, did not work out as planned.

This is not the first time for the Tennessee Titans.

The question of how much to pay Derrick Henry – and for how long – is a challenging one. Running backs in the NFL don’t stay productive forever. And often, the end of that productivity comes suddenly.

So, the issue is to try to figure out how to properly reward a player for what he has done but not pay an excessive salary when the time comes that he no longer can do it.

Jon Robinson will be the third Titans general manager wrestle with this riddle. Floyd Reese paid Eddie George in 2000, and Mike Reinfeldt did the same with Chris Johnson in 2011. Neither deal worked out particularly well.

A look at those pacts and how Henry’s current situation compares to those of George and Johnson at the time they got long-term extensions:

EDDIE GEORGE

The set up: The 14 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft was the picture of consistency from the moment he entered the NFL. George had between 320 and 357 carries and rushed for as little as 1,294 yards and as many as 1,399 yards in his first four seasons. He was fifth, sixth or seventh in the NFL is rushing each of those years and was the 1996 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The contract: In 2000, the Titans signed him to a six-year, $41.25 million extension.

What happened: George had his best season in 2000, a league-high 403 rushes for 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. Then a toe injury in 2001 changed everything. He failed to rush for 1,000 yards for the first time that fall (939 yards) and never averaged better than 3.4 yards per carry again. The Titans released him following the 2003 season, with three years remaining on the contract.

CHRIS JOHNSON

The set up: The 24 overall selection in 2008, Johnson immediately established himself as a bona fide NFL back (1,228 yards on 215 carries) and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 2009 he set a franchise record with 2,006 rushing yards and an NFL record with 2,509 yards from scrimmage. After he rushed for 1,364 yards in 2010, he held out of training camp in 2011 to force negotiations on a long-term deal, which he ultimately got.

The contract: In 2011, the Titans signed him to a four-year, $53.5 million extension.

What happened: Johnson rushed for at least 1,000 yards each of the next three seasons but maxed out at 1,243 yards in 2012. He also had just 14 rushing touchdowns in those three years, the same number he had in his record-setting 2009 campaign alone. In 2013, he averaged fewer than four yards per carry for the first time. The Titans released him in April 2014, with three years remaining on the contract.

DERRICK HENRY

The set up: A second-round pick in 2016, Henry did not even rush for 1,000 yards until his third NFL season. He spent most of the first two as a backup to DeMarco Murray. Over the last 20 regular-season games, however, he has become the centerpiece of the Tennessee offense. In 2019, he led the NFL with 303 rushes and 1,540 rushing yards and tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns.

What happens next remains to be seen.

Henry is under contract for 2020 having signed the one-year, non-exclusive franchise tender that will pay him $10,278 million if the sides can’t come to terms on a long-term deal before July 15.

It is important to note that at this point Henry has played four seasons and has 804 rushing attempts. George had 1,360 attempts at the time he got his extension. Johnson had 925 attempts over just three seasons when he got his new deal. And both were more involved in the passing game than Henry has been – 137 receptions for Johnson, 114 receptions for George versus 57 for Henry.

So, Henry has not taken the number of hits those two did. Yet, he has scored more rushing touchdowns (38) than either of the other two when they got their extensions (34 for Johnson, 28 for George).

In short, Henry looks like a safer bet for a long-term deal.