Derrick Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency last month and the running back is already a big fan of reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson as the pair hunt for a Super Bowl
(Image: Getty Images)
Derrick Henry has opened up on his first interaction with new team-mate Lamar Jackson, branding his new quarterback a ‘cool guy’ as the pair prepare to hunt for a Super Bowl.
Previously with the Tennessee Titans, where he played a 17-game season in 2023, finished second to Christian McCaffrey with 1,167 rushing yards. Switching to free agency, he now finds himself with the Baltimore Ravens under a two-year contract worth $16 million.
The burly athlete, renowned for being one of the most formidable running backs in current NFL history, is stepping up for the Ravens in their ongoing journey to bolster their performance following their AFC Championship effort last year. Henry, who recorded five 1,000-yard seasons during his time in Tennessee, aligns with a Ravens lineup that crowned the leaderboards with most rushing yards in 2023, thanks largely to Jackson’s impressive 821 yards.
With Jackson and Henry now on side by side, the Ravens seem poised to dominate this coming year. Henry’s admiration for Jackson speaks volumes about team dynamics, as he explained: “You can tell he’s a great leader by how everybody flocks to him. He has great energy as well. I’ve only been around him for a little bit, but he seems like a great guy. His body of work speaks for itself.”
Henry is all in on his quest for a Lombardi Trophy, and the shared ambition with his new teammates is making him feel right at home. He expressed his enthusiasm, saying: “It’s been fun getting to know everybody, putting the work in, something I love to do. I’m the new guy on the block. I wanted to make sure that I show up, show my teammates and this organization that I’m here, I’m committed.”
Henry went on to say: “I really want to hold that trophy up at the end of the year. But it starts right now putting the work in.”
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Derrick Henry has heaped praise on Lamar Jackson and his Ravens teammates since landing in Baltimore (Image:
Getty Images)
During his impressive eight-year tenure with Tennessee, Henry amassed 9,502 rushing yards and scored 90 touchdowns. His accolades include being named First-team All-Pro (2020), Second-team All-Pro (2019), NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2020), and earning four Pro Bowl selections.
Additionally, he led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns twice each. The buzz around Henry’s arrival is palpable in the locker room. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith couldn’t hide his excitement about the new addition.
Smith shared his anticipation: “I told a couple of my friends in the offseason, maybe I’ll have to get some popcorn on the sidelines while I’m watching those guys go to work,” he remarked. “I think it’s a great piece added to us, and I think it’s going to help us get to where we want to be.”