From a 2,000-yard season to his dominance in Baltimore, the "King" solidified his legacy alongside legends like Tom Brady as the premier power back of his generation.
In the last 20 years, there have been some elite players come through the NFL.
After Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George retired in 2004, the franchise took a while to find its next star at the position. Chris Brown and Travis Henry were a tandem in the backfield in 2005.
Then, the Titans drafted LenDale White out of USC in 2006, but they needed a piece to complement him. In 2008, the Titans drafted Chris Johnson out of ECU, and the two eventually earned the nickname "Smash and Dash" for their specific running styles.
White was a power back who was very hard to bring down, and Johnson could outrun the fastest players in the NFL at the time.
White's rookie contract expired after 2009, and the Titans didn't offer him another contract. Johnson held down the running back position until 2013.
The franchise was in running back purgatory for a couple of years until DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry came around in 2016. Henry sat behind Murray in his first two years with the Titans.
Then Murray retired after the 2017 season, and Henry took the reins in 2018.
He joined Johnson in the 2,000-yard club in 2020 and has the second-most career rushing yards in Titans history (9,502) to this day.
The Titans underwent major changes after the 2023 season, including the firing of head coach Mike Vrabel. Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry were among the players who left the franchise after that season.
Henry joined the Baltimore Ravens in free agency and picked up right where he left off. He nearly ran for 2,000 yards again in 2024, finishing with 1,921 rushing yards.
Very few running backs like Henry have come into the league. It's not every day you get a power back with his speed running downhill at the defense.
PFF released its list of the best NFL players of the last 20 years, and Henry was the running back. The list featured the best players at every position outside of special teams or returner.
Henry's name was featured among legends like Tom Brady, Julio Jones, Jason Kelce, and Darrelle Revis.
It'll be interesting to see what records Henry breaks by the time he retires from the NFL. There's no telling when Henry will retire from football. At the age of 32, he's still proving he has plenty more to offer.
He is without a doubt the best running back in the last 20 years in the NFL.
