NFL News: Ravens were inches away from acquiring RB Derrick Henry

Prior to the 2023 trade deadline, several teams asked the Tennessee Titans about Derrick Henry’s situation. However, there was one club that was very close from acquiring the talented running back: the Baltimore Ravens.

This season, the Ravens decided to bolster their offense with several elite weapons. They first signed Lamar Jackson to a 5-year, $260 million contract extension, but they didn’t stop there.

The AFC North team aimed to support their quarterback by surrounding him with talented players, but their hopes of acquiring one of the league’s top running backs, Derrick Henry, recently fell through.

Report: Derrick Henry was very close from playing for the Ravens this year

In the 2023 NFL season, even some of the league’s elite running backs faced challenges securing long-term deals with their respective teams. Surprisingly, Derrick Henry’s future with the Titans was also uncertain, as reports indicated that the team was considering parting ways with him.

In 2020, Henry signed a 4-year, $50 million contract extension with Tennessee, which he restructered earlier this year. However, it seems like his time with the AFC South team might come to an end soon.

According to Marlon Humphrey, cornerback of the Ravens, disclosed that the team came very close to acquiring Derrick Henry this year. The Pro Bowler stated that Baltimore was “85%” close to completing a trade for the running back, but the deal fell through before the trade deadline due to a failure to agree on terms.

Marlon Humphrey’s revelation aligns with the Ravens’ needs. At the start of the 2023 season, Baltimore suffered a significant setback when their starting running back, J.K. Dobbins, sustained a torn Achilles injury. As a result, the team was actively seeking to replace him with a player of Derrick Henry’s caliber.

It was reported that the Titans were seeking at least a first-round pick in exchange for Henry. This demand is understandable given Henry’s status as one of the NFL’s premier running backs. He has averaged more than 1,000 rushing yards per season during his illustrious 8-year career.

Will Derrick Henry leave the Titans at the end of the 2023 season?

While it’s still too early to predict Derrick Henry’s future, it appears that the Titans are on the verge of parting ways with the running back. The team is in the midst of a significant restructuring process, which involves transitioning to a younger roster for future seasons.

Henry, 29, has undoubtedly been one of the league’s premier running backs in recent years. The Titans are well aware of this, and by trading him, they could potentially acquire valuable draft picks, enabling them to build a younger and more competitive roster for the future.