Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter will need to ensure that Derrick Henry is maximized in 2026, fixing a mistake the previous regime made in 2025.
One of the glaring issues that John Harbaugh had with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025 was the run game. While having Derrick Henry in the backfield, there were times when he would not play entire quarters due to mismanagement on the coaching front.
Harbaugh chalked it up to splitting carries with Keaton Mitchell, which did not make sense at times. Considering Henry is now slowing down by any means, Jesse Minter will need to ensure he fixes the mistakes made with the All-Pro back last season.
Henry may be 33 years old, but he continually proves that age is only a number in the NFL. In the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he has rushed for 3,516 yards, which is the most in the league.
Henry has also picked up 34 touchdowns in that time. He brought in 16 rushing touchdowns in both 2024 and 2025, and two receiving touchdowns in 2024 as well.
Simply put, Henry continues to be one of the best running backs in the league, and Minter will need to make sure that Declan Doyle understands that.
When speaking at the NFL owners' meetings, Minter did speak about the sheer work ethic that Henry has.
"He's a major major piece of how we operate and how we're going to operate and couldn't be more excited to have him. He's had an unbelievable career, then even more so the last two years. It's like you know he just the way that he works um you know there's there's some guys that get better with age and I would say that he kind of fits into that category," Minter said.
Henry has gotten better with age. As stated, he has more rushing yardage than his younger counterparts over the past two seasons. He also continually posts his workout videos showing his dedication to getting stronger every offseason.
Minter also pointed to the last two Super Bowl champions having strong run games, which is well-known. The Ravens have the benefit of having a strong run game that includes Henry and Lamar Jackson.
Jackson might take a backseat in 2026 to allow Henry to do his thing and also to protect himself from further injury. But that doesn't mean that Minter and Doyle will not allow the quarterback chances to pick up chunk yardage on the ground as well.
Baltimore did lose Mitchell, but they still have one of the top rushers in the league. Henry may need some breathing breaks at times, but he has shown that he can carry this team on his back if needed.
The new Ravens regime will need to understand that and allow it to happen.