Titans GM sets the record straight on Derrick Henry trade rumors

First-year Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon has been getting plenty of feedback about which direction he should take the team’s roster—both from those inside and outside of the organization.

But Carthon admitted Monday during his pre-draft news conference that the most memorable piece of advice he got came while snapping a photo with a Titans fan.

“I was at an event and I was taking a picture, I had my arm around a lady and she leans in (and says), ‘You better not trade Derrick,’” Carthon joked. “She scared the hell out of me because it came from like a motherly, authoritative place. I was just like, ‘Yes ma’am.’”

While many have speculated which members of the Jon Robinson-constructed Titans roster could be jettisoned off with Carthon now calling the shots, most of the intrigue has Surrounded Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Multiple reports have stated the Titans have fielded calls on Henry, and there have been several reports linking the 29-year-old running back to teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.

However, Carthon admitted on Monday that those narratives are all false.

“No (I haven’t received calls about Henry),” he said. “…It is what it is. It’s a part of the job. I know people have their job to do to speculate and put things out and hope that it sticks and hope that they’re right. But I’ll just lean this way: we won’t do business in public.”

This isn’t the first time the Titans have been said to be shopping a star player. A little over a month ago, it was reported that Tennessee was shopping star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons as it did not want to pay him the mega contract he was reportedly seeking.

Four weeks later, Simmons and the Titans agreed on a four-year, $94 million contract, proving Carthon’s point: you can’t believe everything you hear.

“[There were rumors we were] trading Jeffery Simmons and doing all these things and the entire time of us trading Jeffery Simmons, we were working on the deal,” Carthon added. “And then we got the deal done and all that talk went away.”