Lewan Says Henry 'Definitely Deserving' Of Long-Term Deal

Veteran left tackle is among current Titans who got extensions prior to the start of a contract year

NASHVILLE – Taylor Lewan cashed in two years ago.

Now, the senior member of the Tennessee Titans offense believes that it is time for running back Derrick Henry to get paid.

“From a business standpoint (and) a friend standpoint, it’s all the same for me,” Lewan said Thursday. “I think Derrick Henry is one of the hardest working guys on this team. It shows in his play. It shows in how he is with a bunch of guys on the team. And he’s definitely deserving.”

As it stands right now, Henry is under contract for the 2020 season and that’s it. In April, the NFL’s reigning rushing champion signed the one-year, non-exclusive franchise tender ($10.822 million) Tennessee used to retain his rights.

The sides have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal. After that, Henry will be locked in to the one-year pact for the season and the parties will have to wait until next year to try again.

In recent years, general manager Jon Robinson has made a habit of signing key contributors to long-term extensions rather than letting them play to the end of a contract. Of the Titans currently on track to be free agents next year, Henry is the most obvious candidate to continue that trend.

Lewan, the Titans’ starting left tackle for the past five seasons, agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract extension in 2018, just as he started his fifth year in the NFL. The first season of that pact was 2019.

Safety Kevin Byard agreed to a five-year, $70.5 million deal at the start of last season’s training camp. That contract takes effect with the start of the 2020 campaign.

Lewan was a two-time Pro Bowler when he got paid. Byard was an All-Pro in 2017, when he tied for the NFL lead in interceptions.

Henry led the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards in 2019 and added 446 yards (also a league-high) in the postseason. A second-round draft pick in 2016, he made his first Pro Bowl appearance in January and was named a second-team All-Pro.

“I think Jon Robinson is a great GM, regardless of whether or not I got that contract.” Lewan said. “I think the best thing is going to happen for the team, and I think Derrick is going to do an amazing job for us this year and – hopefully – for a lot more years to come.”

Henry, the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner, has been the Titans’ leading rusher each of the last three seasons and has evolved into the most important piece of Tennessee’s offense.

That kind of production eventually is going to cost a team. All that remains to be seen in this case is when … and exactly how much.

“I think for anybody in the NFL, as a player you always want guys to get paid,” Lewan said. “I think everybody plays this game for the love of the game and when you get to this part it definitely becomes a business. Whether you like it or not, that’s just how it is.”