The legendary running back breaks his silence on a bittersweet exit, revealing the front office never offered a new contract before shipping him toward a fresh start.
All good things must come to an end.
That was especially true for the Tennessee Titans and former running back Derrick Henry at the end of the 2023 season.
Henry was taken in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Alabama after winning the Heisman in 2015.
He left with the second-most career rushing yards (9,502) in Titans history and also made NFL history. In 2020, he ran for 2,027 rushing yards and led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns.
Then, towards the end of the Mike Vrabel era, the Titans decided to move on from Henry. The Titans said goodbye to both Vrabel and Henry after the 2023 season.
Henry will see the Titans for the first time since he left. Some of his former teammates, like Amani Hooker and Jeffery Simmons, are still around. Simmons shared his thoughts on how the Titans need to approach playing Henry at a press conference earlier in the week.
Henry spoke to the media a couple of days before the game and was asked about the experience of being let go by the Titans. He said the Titans didn't try to bring him back at all at the end of the 2023 season.
"No, they shipped me out," Henry said. "Well, I wouldn't say it like that, but it's always love. But no, they didn't offer, not at all."
He was later asked how the Titans' lack of an attempt made him feel. The feeling was bittersweet for the former Titans running back.
"I mean, I think it was bittersweet," Henry said. "I think I knew that the writing was on the wall, you know, throughout that season, and they were ready to move on, and, you know, good things don't last forever. So, it was time for me to find a new home, and I knew that home; I wanted it to be, and it was here. So, God is good."
After saying goodbye to Henry, the Titans needed another starting-caliber running back. The General Manager at the time was Ran Carthon, and he signed Tony Pollard from the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
Pollard and Henry are two different players, so comparing them isn't right. Pollard has still been a productive back for the Titans. He got off to a great start in 2024, rushing for 1,079 yards and five touchdowns.
He followed that up with another 1,000-yard season in 2025. Pollard and Henry are the only two active running backs in the NFL with four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Pollard could never replace Henry, but he was one of the few good contracts Carthon handed out as GM.
Pollard and Henry will face off on Sunday as the Titans take on the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
The forecast calls for rain, so both teams should expect to see a lot of running back play in this one.
It'll be an interesting thing to watch, with Henry, the former Titans running back, going up against the current one, Pollard.
Sunday's game will be broadcast on CBS on noon CT this Sunday.
