Derrick Henry, the heavy hitting star RB of the Baltimore Ravens, recently signed a two-year extension. It’s a heck of a deal too at a whopping $30 million! This new deal will take him through the 2027 season, when he would be 33 years old. The extension was a big victory. It’s the biggest deal ever given to a 30-plus-year-old running back.
At 31 years old, Henry has shown that he is far from over the hill. A season ago, he blitzkrieged his way upfield for an eye-popping 1,921 yards. With that performance, he set the record of the most rushing yards by a 30+ year old running back in NFL history. Despite this achievement, Henry has stated that his goal was not to establish a new standard for older running backs with his new deal.
Contrary to what this cartoonish drawing might suggest, Henry’s trip to sign the extension was fraught with peril. His flight to Baltimore was already delayed by bad weather. After arriving home at 4:45 a.m., he aimed to reach the Ravens’ facility by 6 a.m., all while operating on just 30 minutes of sleep.
Even with all that fatigued, Henry seemed thrilled to be riding off with a new deal.
“I’m very happy that we were finally able to get that done.” – Derrick Henry
The deal prevents Henry from hitting the free-agent market after the season. It is a testament to the amazing work he’s done so far, and all that he has left to give. At 41 years old, he’s showed no signs of slowing down and continues to find ways to improve his game.
Henry only took that much time off after the Ravens’ gut-wrenching 27-25 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional playoffs. He immediately returned to his fitness regimen. Like every great leader, his commitment to continuous improvement can be found within his growth mindset.
“How can Derrick Henry be better, how can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they want to get to?” – Derrick Henry
Now as he looks ahead to the 2024 campaign, Henry hopes to focus on improving himself from season to season.
“I think it’s just focus on this year and then focus to continue to get better year after year that I’m here — that’s always going to be my focus.” – Derrick Henry
Henry wouldn’t say whether this extension commits him to finishing his career in Baltimore, nor whether he intends to play past the life of this contract. He voiced pleasure with the settlement, calling it a win-win for both sides.
“[It’s] just both of us coming to agreement with both made sense on both sides and us both being happy with.” – Derrick Henry
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