After an outstanding first season with the Baltimore Ravens, Derrick Henry received exactly the reward he was looking for.
Last week, the Ravens signed Henry to a two-year, $30 million extension to keep him in Baltimore through his age-33 season in 2027. Henry is now the highest-paid 30-plus-year-old running back in NFL history, and after rushing for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, he absolutely deserves that title.
Will this contract be his last in the NFL, though? That's a question he's not quite ready to answer.
"[I'm] just focused on this year and then focused on continuing to get better year after year that I'm here," Henry told reporters Monday. "That's always going to be my focus. I love football. I love playing. I know people look at [my] age, but I don't really try to focus on that. I just focus on, 'How can Derrick Henry be better? How can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they want to get to and me being the best teammate I can be to my teammates?'"
Henry has already enjoyed a longer career than many running backs do, and the fact that he's still playing at an elite level in his early 30s is incredible considering how short the shelf life at the position is today. How long he continues to play at such a high level remains to be seen, but with how he takes care of himself, he might have a few more good years left.
As he said, though, his focus is on helping the Ravens win here and now.
"Last year, it was a lot of fun. We accomplished winning the division, got into the playoffs, but ultimately, we came up short, so it's a lot of fuel that should go into this season. Guys should be motivated – they are motivated – and hungry to get ready for the next one."
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