Alabama Legend Derrick Henry is Reaching the End of the Road

Derrick Henry is one of the most legendary players to ever don an Alabama Crimson Tide uniform, and given the amount of great names that have come through Tuscaloosa, that is certainly saying a mouthful.

Henry has honored the Alabama name well on the NFL level, establishing himself as one of the best running backs of his era and putting himself on an almost guaranteed path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But now, in his age-32 season, Henry may finally be reaching his breaking point.

Henry carried the ball 17 times for just 57 yards in the Baltimore Ravens' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, marking the team's fourth straight loss.

Afterward, with his name being floated in trade rumors before the NFL trade deadline, the Crimson Tide alum was clearly frustrated and had very little interest in speaking to reporters, giving terse, brief answers in very short locker room scrum.

Henry could be on the move between now and next Tuesday, but given the way his season has gone, any team acquiring him would be taking a considerable risk.

Why? Because the five-time Pro Bowler is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry in 2026, quite easily a career low and well beneath his lifetime median of 4.8 yards per tote.

Of course, it doesn't help that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been injured for most of the year, which has certainly played a role in limiting Henry's effectiveness, but we also need to keep in mind that Henry is in his 11th NFL season with lots of tread on his tires.

Henry appeared to be on a downturn during his final campaign with the Tennessee Titans in 2023, when he logged 4.2 yards per attempt. But he certainly bucked that trend in 2024 and 2025, enjoying two of the best seasons of his professional career.

Now, though, it appears that Henry may finally be reaching the end of the road, not just in Baltimore, but in terms of being an elite featured back.

It's a sad sight for Alabama fans, who watched the tailback put forth one of the more dominant seasons you will ever see in 2015 when he racked up 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground en route to a Heisman Trophy award.

More importantly, Henry helped lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship.

Henry was then selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, eventually establishing himself as a game-breaker.

But as each week goes by here this season, it's looking more and more like Henry is in the twilight of his career, and a change of scenery might not change it.