Returning to face his former team, the unstoppable Ravens star warns that sentiment won't stop him from punishing a struggling Tennessee defense in this high-stakes reunion.
The Tennessee Titans have a long-awaited meeting with Derrick Henry on Sunday.
Henry may be looking forward to it. Titans' fans? Not so much.
It's the first time Henry will face the Titans since the franchise moved on from him at the end of the 2023 season.
Henry has proved that he is still very much the same player.
Henry nearly ran for 2,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career in 2024, finishing with 1,921. He led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns that year.
Last year, Henry had 1,595 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. It's safe to say he hasn't missed a beat since going to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens enter the matchup at 2-1, while the Titans are 0-3. First-year head coach Jesse Minter is off to a good start. The Ravens opened as an 11.5-point favorite against the Titans.
With how poorly Tennessee has played, it makes sense. The Titans were very close to being 2-1, losing close games with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.
Now, the Titans have a tough opponent on the horizon. Henry made sure to let the Titans know how he felt at a recent press conference.
He still has a lot of love for the organization, but he isn't going to take it easy on them because of that.
"One of the security guys I'm cool with named Jeb," Henry said. "He been texting me about two weeks now about the whole game. So, it's just been funny, you know, still like family there. So, it's always love, but I mean, it ain't gonna be much love on Sunday."
Henry left the Titans with the second-most career rushing yards (9,502) in franchise history. Only Eddie George has more career rushing yards (10,009) in Titans history.
The Titans are now going to see what it's like to be on the flip side of the Henry experience. They will see for themselves what it's like to try to stop Henry, who was on the team for many years.
Tennessee has its work cut out for itself. The Titans' rush defense has allowed the ninth-most rushing yards per game heading into Week 4, at 126.3.
The Ravens currently have the third-best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 167.3 rushing yards per game.
Henry will, without a doubt, be the toughest running back the Titans have faced so far. It looks like the weather is going to be in the Ravens' favor too.
Rain showers are expected on Sunday in Baltimore, Maryland, which may motivate the Ravens to run the ball more.
The good news is that Henry is still very appreciative of the Titans' organization. The bad news is that it won't stop him from trying to run all over them.
Sunday's game kicks off at noon CT on CBS. The Titans are meeting King Henry on the opposite sideline now.
Good luck.
