Titans running back Derrick Henry reacts to Mike Vrabel's firing
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry reacted to Mike Vrabel’s firing on Tuesday with shock. The duo led the team to a Week 18 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars that barred their AFC South opponents from the postseason. Both are likely now on their way out of Nashville. The former second-round draft pick spoke to NFL reporter Dianna Russini on the phone after the news broke.
“Wow. Wow. I’m shocked,” Henry said. “Coach Vrabel is a leader of men. He is a great coach and teacher. I know he will get another opportunity right away. I look forward to it.”
The former NFL linebacker led Tennessee to 9-7 records in each of his first two seasons, reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2019. However, the past two seasons ended with losing records.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk released a statement on Tuesday following Vrabel’s firing.
“Earlier today, I spoke with Mike Vrabel and told him about my decision to make a change at head coach,” Adams Strunk wrote. “As I told Coach Vrabel, this decision was as difficult as any I’ve made as Controlling Owner. I appreciate Mike’s contributions to the Tennessee Titans both on and off the field. Anyone who has ever met him knows how passionate and genuine he is, and he’s been a strong supporter of the Nashville community. We wish Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family nothing but the best in the future.”
Henry says ‘thank you’ to Titans fans after Week 18 win
Derrick Henry took the microphone and addressed the home crowd in Nashville on Sunday after the team’s win over Jacksonville. He thanked the Titans fans in a message that suggested he may be parting ways with the franchise moving forward.
“Titan fans, I just want to say thank you for the greatest eight years of my life. The ups and the downs, y’all have been there for everything, through the adversity, watching me grow as a person and a player, always supporting me,” Henry said. “I love y’all, I love seeing the 22s in the stadium. Hopefully, I was an inspiration to all the young kids and everybody in the community. Just thank y’all so much. Man, God is good, and Titan up baby.”
Henry will be a free agent this offseason, and his vocalization regarding the unfair payment of running backs and the state of the market at the position at large was one of the biggest stories around the NFL this offseason. That paired with his message delivered at Nissan Stadium on Sunday following the team’s last game of the season makes it seem like Henry and the Titans could be headed in separate directions in the near future.