Derrick Henry U-turn possibility emerges after emotional Tennessee Titans speech

28 February 2024 , 03:00

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Derrick Henry was thought to have played his last game for the Titans, though it appears he could return to Tennessee (Image: Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

The Tennessee Titans might see their star running back Derrick Henry back on the team if things work out. The Titans' new general manager, Ran Carthon, said they're open to having Henry play for them again.

His update comes after Henry gave a heartfelt goodbye to the Titans following their last game of the season. He thanked everyone for supporting him through good and bad times in his eight years with the team in an emotional speech.

"Titans fans, I just want to say thank you for the greatest eight years of my life," Henry shared on the field. "The ups and the downs, y'all have been there for everything. Though the adversity, [you] watched me grow as a person and a player, always supporting me.

"I love y'all. I love seeing the 22s in the stadium. Hopefully, I was an inspiration to all the young kids and everybody in the community. Just thank y'all so much, man. God is good. And Titan up, baby."

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Over a month after saying this, Carthon mentioned that the Titans are still talking to Henry and his people. "He knows where we are and we know where he is," Carthon explained on Tuesday.

"We'll be well positioned to do whatever we need to do. When those conversations need to be had, we'll have them with Derrick and his team."

For the 30-year-old football star, Henry, rejoining the Titans will depend on whether the 2024 team can do better than its rough patch in 2023, which saw just six wins. His heart is set on winning a championship as he gets older.

"I want to bring a Super Bowl here really bad," said Henry after a game against the Jaguars. "I'm in Year 8 now, so the Super Bowl is definitely my next goal. I'm not getting younger. I want a ring, so, wherever that comes and whoever can help get close to that, that's what we're going to do."

Derrick Henry could still return to the Tennessee Titans if the pieces all fall into place (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Since joining the Titans, Henry has seen the team reach the Wild Card round once, the Divisional Round twice, and the AFC Championship Game once. But they didn't make the playoffs for the two years following 2021, ending with records of 7-10 and 6-11 in 2022 and 2023.

Notably, the tide could change with Tennessee kicking off a new era by hiring Brian Callahan, the former offensive coordinator from the Cincinnati Bengals. His arrival might bring the required change, especially since his offense was amongst the top-10 in 2021 and 2022.

Henry's past with the Titans makes him a sought-after player in the league, even if his next contract might not be as big as he'd like. If a team, such as the San Francisco 49ers, offers Henry a deal that might not be what he wants but could bring him closer to a Super Bowl, he might have to make a difficult decision.

Jarrod Castillo