Tennessee Titans: Does Derrick Henry deserve “Christian McCaffrey money”

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is one of the best running backs in the league, but does he deserve Christian McCaffrey money?

Derrick Henry was the 2019 rushing champion, and he was a big part of the Tennessee Titans’ playoff run to the AFC Championship. Does that mean he deserves Christian McCaffrey money?

Well, simply put, yes, he does. He probably should’ve been paid McCaffrey money before Ryan Tannehill got his extension.

After last season, I don’t think there is anyone that can say there was a better running back in the NFL than Henry, so why wouldn’t he deserve the money to represent his performance?

Titans legend Eddie George told The Athletic something very similar as he believes that Henry should get paid top dollar.

"“But Derrick is the heart and soul of the Titans. They don’t make that playoff run without him. He led them to the brink of a Super Bowl berth,” George said. “When you look at what Christian did from a running back perspective, productivity-wise, that was outstanding. But when it equates to wins and a team, it’s not comparable. So where do you value that? At what point do you value the running back and say, ‘Man, Derrick is not just a running back — he is the heart and soul of the team and needs to be compensated as such’?“I could see a deal similar or a little more than Christian McCaffrey, making Derrick the highest-paid running back in the league,” George said. “And create a deal where it’s a win-win for both sides. Maybe it’s not long in years; maybe it’s a four-year deal. You look at it after Year 3, and if he’s still producing, great.”"

George has a point. I don’t think Henry will find a team that will pay him more than what he’s worth to the Titans because he’s been a big part of the Titans’ success over the past few seasons, even if it didn’t necessarily show up in the stat book.

He will continue to be that guy for however long the Titans want to keep, which I hope is at least a few more years after 2020. Yeah, he’s getting up there in age for a running back, but if he’s not showing signs of slowing down, then why worry?

Tom Brady was old for a quarterback five years ago, but here we are as he’s still chugging along and will try to create some new magic in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers.

Without a doubt, I think that Henry deserves top money as a running back in the NFL. Will he get it, on the other hand, is a different question and one that I would answer with probably not.