Derrick Henry career stats: Why Ravens signed former Titans RB despite age, injury concerns

The Ravens have been the NFL's top rushing offense over the last six seasons despite having a running back committee for most of those years.

Star quarterback Lamar Jackson, of course, plays a major role in boosting those numbers. He has been the team's leading rusher for five seasons in a row. Baltimore finished in the NFL's top five in rushing yards for six consecutive seasons and has been the league's No. 1 rushing team three times in that span.

And it just added its best running back in over a decade this offseason.

The Ravens signed Derrick Henry to a two-year, $16 million deal in free agency with $9 million guaranteed. Set to turn 31 during the 2024 season, Baltimore's commitment to Henry turned some heads.

Will Henry be worth the short-term investment?

Why the Ravens signed Derrick Henry

The Ravens have tried a variety of running backs over the past few seasons, with names like Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell, Kenyan Drake, Devonta Freeman, Dalvin Cook, and Latavius Murray all working alongside Jackson in the backfield.

It didn't quite matter who carried the ball for Baltimore because its star quarterback would always assure his team ranked among the best in the NFL in rushing yards.

When Henry hit free agency this offseason, it allowed the Ravens to land an every-down back who could take some pressure off Jackson's legs. Even at 30, Henry is still one of the NFL's most relentless workhorses.

It's rare for a running back to remain as productive as Henry has over the years, especially when you consider his workload.

He is one of 42 running backs in NFL history to notch over 2,000 career carries. He is fewer than 500 rushing yards shy of joining the exclusive, 31-player 10,000-yard club. His 90 rushing touchdowns are tied for the 13th-most in NFL history.

Even when the masses expected his production to drop off a cliff during his age 30 season in 2023, Henry remained a bell cow.

He played in all 17 regular season games for the Titans last year, led the NFL with 280 carries, and finished second with 1,167 rushing yards to AP Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey (1,459).

Since Henry's 2021 foot fracture that was expected to derail his career, he has led the NFL in carries and tallied over 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons.

When you line up all those facts, the answer is simple as to why the Ravens signed Henry to a low-stakes two-year deal. He's still really good — like, one of the best in the NFL — and his fall-off may not be as imminent as most assume.

Henry will only help the Ravens build on being the league's best-rushing team last season.

Derrick Henry injury history

Henry has been relatively healthy for a running back with his beast-like workload throughout his eight-year career.

He has only suffered one severe injury in the NFL — a foot fracture during Week 8 of the 2021 season that caused him to miss the Titans' final nine games.

Other than that, he missed one game during his 2016 rookie season due to a calf strain and one game in 2019 due to a hamstring strain.

Somehow, through all the carries, gang-tackles, and low hits he has taken over the years, Henry has played in 119 of 130 available regular season games in his career.

Derrick Henry career stats

Henry has led the NFL in carries four times and rushing yards and rushing touchdowns twice. He is one of eight running backs in NFL history with a 2,000-yard season, which earned him AP Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2020.

You can find Henry's career rushing stats below.