Why the Tennessee Titans MUST pay Derrick Henry

The Tennessee Titans have a decision to make with Derrick Henry. Do they pay the NFL’s leading rusher or do they not? Short answer is heck yes you pay him.

We all know how the NFL works. It’s a business and most running backs quickly fall in production before they reach the age of 30. That also means the Tennessee Titans might have a difficult decision surrounding Derrick Henry.

I don’t think it’s a very difficult decision. Last season Henry was the leading rusher in the NFL and the rushing champion. If that’s not a good enough case to receive a new contract then I don’t think anything is.

Apparently some people do think the Titans should move on from Henry and I hate to inform them that they are wrong.

The most recent person to say this is Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. In an article titled “Titans must heed warning signs and avoid paying Derrick Henry after a career year” La Canfora lays out why the Titans should not keep Henry in Nashville.

If the Titans don’t pay Henry, someone will and they will write a big check to him too. Henry is 26 years old so statistically, he will probably start going downhill soon, but that’s no reason to not resign him.

If Henry hasn’t found his place in the offense or he’s been average to good for his entire career with the Titans then I think it’s fair to say the Titans could move on from him but that hasn’t been the case.

Henry has been great with the Titans and just had his best season in his career. Based on him continuing to improve each season does that mean he’s more likely to continue to improve next year or fall off?

I think it points towards Henry more likely to continue to improve and have another great season next year. Plus, I think Henry is a huge part of the offense and leaving Ryan Tannehill without him in 2020 could really hurt the offensive production.

Without Henry, the Titans’ playoff run might have ended in the Wild Card round. Henry has given the Titans every reason to resign him and the national media continues to think that he and the Titans aren’t good enough.

The Titans proved a lot of people wrong in the back half of the 2019 season and it looks like the Titans are already going into 2020 with the media once again downplaying their success.