Two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry has been designated to return from injury reserve. Henry is expected to practice with the Titans on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Henry has not played since suffering a foot fracture during the Titans’ Week 8 victory over the Colts. At the time of his injury, Henry led the NFL with 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. In his absence, the Titans have relied on running backs D’Onta Foreman, Dontrell Hilliard and Jeremy McNichols. Foreman is second on the team with 437 yards, while Hilliard and McNichols have combined to run for 449 yards on 88 carries. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has also contributed to Tennessee’s rushing attack with 272 yards and seven touchdowns on 53 carries.
Despite Henry’s absence, the Titans are 11-5 and the No. 1 seed in the AFC entering the final game of the regular season. And while Tennessee has continued to win with Henry on the mend, the addition of Henry would further increase the Titans’ odds at returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1999 season.
“That’s the king,” Titans receiver A.J. Brown recently said of Henry. “We get him back, everybody is going to be exited. Derrick gives confidence to this offense. We’re going to feed off of him. Hopefully, we get him back soon. I don’t know, but I know he’s ready and we’re ready for him.”
Henry is certainly considered running back royalty. During the 2020 and 2019 seasons, he ran for a combined 3,567 yards and 33 touchdowns while leading the Titans’ to back-to-back playoff appearances. He ran for 448 yards in three playoff games while helping the Titans reach the AFC Championship Game in 2019. Henry became the eighth player in league history to reach 2,000 yards rushing in a season after rumbling for 2,027 yards in 2020.
