Four-time Pro Bowl running back pushes back on doubters: ‘Keep watching’

Keep watching.

That is Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry’s message to those who say that the four-time Pro Bowl selection, who will be 30 when the 2024 season kicks off, has already played out his best days on the football field.

‘Tell them to keep watching,’ Henry said during his introductory news conference Thursday. ‘People are always going to have something to say. Always going to have opinions. I’m just here ready to work, ready to get things started.’

Henry officially signed his two-year, $16 million deal (with $9 million guaranteed) with Baltimore on Thursday.

‘It really was a no-brainer for me,’ Henry said.

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Head coach John Harbaugh said he wasn’t sure which side of his staff – the offensive coaches who can now draw up plays for Henry or the defensive coaches who no longer have to worry about containing him – was more excited about the signing.

‘He wants to do everything he can to help the team win,’ Harbaugh said. ‘That’s kind of what it’s all about here.

‘This is a back that can do everything. He can change the game for you. We’re excited about it.’

Ravens general manger Eric DeCosta confirmed that the Ravens tried to acquire Henry, who played the first eight seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans, prior to the 2023 trade deadline.

‘I just want to be an added piece to this offense – to help them do better than they did last year,’ Henry said.

Henry said he hasn’t spoken with quarterback Lamar Jackson since joining the Ravens. But he wants to earn his teammates’ respect, even though he enters with an impressive track record. Since 2017, Henry leads the NFL in several rushing categories: yards (9,012), touchdowns (85), yards per game (86.7) and attempts (1,920).

Henry will join a running back room that includes Justice Hill and second-year player Keaton Mitchell, who is recovering from an ACL injury.