Henry on Surgically Repaired Foot: 'It's Good'
NASHVILLE – Derrick Henry had a message Tuesday for those who hope he will be the same Derrick Henry who led the NFL in rushing in 2019 and 2020.
Simply put: the broken foot that sidelined him midway through the 2021 campaign makes that impossible.
“[When] something like that happens, it definitely changes you,” Henry said following the Tennessee Titans’ mandatory minicamp workout. “You appreciate the game more. Of course, I missed my teammates, having that team camaraderie and just being away.”
It was the first significant injury of his professional career. It happened early in a Week 8 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. He finished that contest and carried the ball 28 times, but his longest gain was nine yards, which snapped a streak of 31 consecutive regular-season game with at least one rush for 10 yards or more.
A second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Henry missed just one week as a rookie and one more late in 2019. This time, however, he missed the final nine games because he was on injured reserve following surgery to repair the injury.
He returned for the playoff loss to Cincinnati and carried the ball 20 times. His longest gain in that one was – nine yards, same as in the game he was injured.
“Coming back, I felt good, but I didn’t play well enough,” he said. “There’s no excuse. I’ve got to be better, and I should have been better.
“But I feel good now.”
While he might have a greater appreciation for the sport and for his opportunity to play it, the question of whether he can be the back who dominated the NFL for all or parts of three seasons (2019-21) remains unanswered for now.
His appearance on the practice field Tuesday was his first of the offseason. Henry stayed away during the voluntary portion of the offseason program and trained on his own, primarily in Dallas as he has done for the previous two years.
In his quest to return to peak performance, however, he did spend additional time this offseason working with a physical therapist under the direction of the surgeon who repaired his foot.
“There’s a lot of footwork and ‘finding my toes’ – (the physical therapist) always tells me that when I’m working out – and all types of different stuff,” he said. “I feel good running hills, a little restricted running and being on the field catching balls, all those types of things to make sure I’m ready.”
Even with the time he missed, Henry’s 900 rushes over the last three seasons easily lead the league during that time. Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook – with 811 – is the only other player with at least 800.
That workload likely contributed to the injury and has led many to speculate that Henry’s best days are behind him – and those days were pretty darn good. Keep in mind, his 4,504 rushing yards are at least 600 more than any other back, and his 2,027 rushing yards in 2020 are the most in the last three years (fifth all-time) while his 1,540 in 2019 rank fourth over that span.
Under the best of circumstances, it would be difficult to maintain that type of production. For his part, though, Henry won’t concede anything.
“I’ve had time away,” he said. “I’ve been training like crazy, doing everything I can to get my body right. I’ve just been working.”
And the amount of time that has passed, he believes, will make all the difference and help him be the same runner he has been.
“With a bone, you’ve got to let it heal. It takes time and things like that,” Henry said. “You just want to make sure you’re taking care of your body, doing everything possible so when the time comes again, you’re prepared and ready.
“How long has it been since I played? The foot’s good. The foot is good.”
