Derrick Henry to sign new two-year contract with Baltimore Ravens
Former Tennessee Titans star running back Derrick Henry has made his highly anticipated decision after becoming a free agent this offseason. The former Alabama standout is reportedly signing a two-year deal to join the Baltimore Ravens. According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, Henry’s new deal is for $16 million but it could be worth up to $20 million. It also includes $9 million fully guaranteed for 2024.
Henry has spent all eight seasons of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans after being selected with the No. 45 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft by Tennessee following his impressive college career at Alabama. He currently ranks first all-time in Titans’ history with 90 career rushing touchdowns and ranks second in franchise history with 9,502 rushing yards only sitting behind Eddie George.
He’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in the last two consecutive seasons for Tennessee, with 2023 marking the fifth time in his career he’s done so. Taking home the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2020 after rushing for a career-high 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns. Also earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2020 after leading the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
Henry’s been regarded as one of the best rushers in the NFL for quite some time, and will now take his talents to the Ravens.
More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency
The NFL 2024 calendar year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams can enter into a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.
In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. Following the restricted free agent deadline follows the 2024 NFL Draft, which runs from April 25-27.
More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents
Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.