Derrick Henry’s 87-yard run on Sunday night was more than just a big play that helped the Ravens trample the Bills. It was reinforcement that “The King” has not relinquished his crown as the NFL’s premier running back.
The big run also put Henry on pace to do something that no other player has done in the NFL’s 105-year history.
Through four games, Henry is on pace to rush for 2,040 yards. If Henry tops 2,000 this season, he will become the first player in NFL history to do so on multiple occasions. If he’s not already a shoo-in for future Hall of Fame induction, this accomplishment would be his surefire ticket to Canton, Ohio.
Henry is already on the short list of running backs who have rushed over 2,000 yards once. The list includes gold jacket-wearers O.J. Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998) and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson (2012). Speedster Chris Johnson (2009) and fellow power back Jamal Lewis (2003) are the only other backs to run for over 2,000 yards in a season.
Henry’s 2,000-yard season took place in 2020 as a member of the Tennessee Titans. That season came on the heels of Henry’s breakout 2019 campaign that saw him lead the NFL in rushing during the regular season as well as the postseason. In fact, Henry’s 446 yards that postseason is the most ever by a running back that didn’t play in that year’s Super Bowl.
While those seasons were historic in their own right, Henry’s 2024 season will supplant both of those as his most remarkable if he is able to reach 2,000 again, let alone lead the league in rushing for a third time. A second 2,000-yard season (and becoming the first player to do so after turning 30) would put Henry into a different echelon as far as all-time running backs are concerned, one that includes Sanders, Jim Brown, Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith as the greatest running backs who have ever played the game.
Can Henry do it? The odds are obviously against him. He’d have to average nearly 117 rushing yards in game in order to hit 2,000 yards on the nose. But the mere fact that we’re even having this conversation is a testament to Henry’s immense talent and continuous drive to be the absolute best at his craft.
