Henry, Cook Providing Immediate Returns on Contract Extensions

The NFL's top two 2020 rushers are among a quartet of running backs who cashed in during the offseason.

So much attention has been paid lately to Derrick Henry and his quest for a second consecutive rushing title.

And the Tennessee Titans running back has inched closer to becoming the 13th player in league history and the first since 2006-2007 to accomplish the feat. However, he still has plenty of work to do as Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has kept a decent pace. Henry currently leads him 1,317 to 1,250 after Week 13.

Less consideration has been given to the fact that Henry is one of four big-name running backs to sign a fruitful contract extension this offseason -- one that will yield him $50 million over four years, including $25.5 million in guaranteed money. The others? Cook, Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints and Christian McCaffery of the Carolina Panthers.

While each of the running has more than proved his game-changing abilities, the Titans and the Vikings have gotten the best early returns on their investments. On top of being neck and neck in the rushing title race recently, Henry and Cook, still the only two players with 1,000 rushing yards this season, both rank atop the league in every other major statistical category for running backs.

Henry has 12 rushing touchdowns, Cook has 13. Henry and Cook both average around five yards per carry and more than 105 yards per game. Each Pro Bowl running back sits atop the league in yards after contact. Henry leads the league in that category as he has 759 yards -- roughly 57 percent of his 1,317 total yards -- have come after contact. Cook has 628 yards after contact, making up around 50 percent his total yards on the season.

A rundown of the NFL's rushing leaders through the first 13 weeks of the 2020 NFL season: 

Player	Team	Rushes	Yards	Avg.	TD
Derrick Henry	Tennessee	271	1,317	4.9	12
Dalvin Cook	Minnesota	251	1,250	5.0	13
James Robinson	Jacksonville	212	968	4.6	7
Ronald Jones	Tampa Bay	162	820	5.1	5
Nick Chubb	Cleveland	133	799	6.0	7

Big games and long runs have become second nature for the two rushing-title hopefuls. Henry has seven 100-yard performances this season and 13 in his last 20 contests dating back to last season.

Among the highlights, Henry ran for 212 yards and had a 94-yard touchdown run in an overtime victory over the Houston Texans in October. Henry scorched the Baltimore Ravens defense for 133 yards and a 29-yard game-winning touchdown in an overtime victory in Week 11. The next week, Henry amassed 178 yards and three touchdowns in a crucial division triumph over Indianapolis.

Cook signed a five-year, $63 million extension with the Vikings shortly before the season and has been just as explosive with six 100-yard showings this season. His season too has been filled with monster plays, including a 70-yard touchdown run in a victory over the Detroit Lions and a four-touchdown showing in a win over Green Bay.

As for Kamara and McCaffery, at least in terms of rushing, the returns have not been as impressive, and one has performed better than the other.

That is Kamara, who signed a five-year, $75 million extension with the Saints in September. With 673 rushing yards and 655 receiving yards, Kamara is third in the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,328. Cook is No. 1 with 1,564 and Henry is No. 2 with 1,419.

Kamara leads running backs in receiving yards and has now amassed more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his four NFL seasons. Recently, though, his production has dropped without quarterback Drew Brees in the lineup. In his last three games, Kamara has just 187 rushing yards on 39 attempts and six catches for nine yards, including negative two yards in Week 12 against Denver. He has scored a pair of touchdowns in that span.

Signed to a four-year, $64 million extension in April, McCaffery’s season has been defined by injuries. He suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 and when he returned in Week 9, he sprained his AC joint in his right shoulder. McCaffery, who went over 1,000 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons, has played in three games this season.

When he was in the lineup, he made his presence felt, registering six touchdowns in those three appearances. He has 225 yards rushing and 148 receiving yards.

Even when looking at a bigger picture, Henry and Cook reign superior. Dating back to Week 15 of last season, including regular season and playoff games, Henry leads the league in rushing yards (2,060), attempts (407), touchdowns (17) and yards per game (121.1). Cook is second to Henry in each of those categories with 1,389 yards, 297 attempts, 15 touchdowns and 99.2 yards per game.

When teams pay a player big, expectations grow. Henry and Cook, by all accounts, have met and exceeded those expectations.

Now, in the middle of the postseason race, the two will continue to chase the rushing crown in what is one of the more exciting -- and closest -- subplots to a season in recent memory.