Derrick Henry opens up about Ravens replacing John Harbaugh with Jesse Minter

Running back Derrick Henry had John Harbaugh as a head coach over Henry's first two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti shockingly fired Harbaugh this past January. 

The Ravens ultimately hired former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as Harbaugh's replacement. While Minter has never served as a head coach at the highest level, Henry recently suggested that he is excited about the direction the franchise is headed this spring. 

Derrick Henry on Ravens' offseason: Change can be good

"I mean, change can be good," Henry said, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. "We’re all excited for everything. Everything is new, so we’re all just trying to learn, but also enjoying it, taking it day by day, not trying to get too overwhelmed, but just being present in the moment." 

ESPN stats show that Henry and two others shared the league lead of 16 rushing touchdowns for the 2024 regular season, his first with Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Harbaugh-led Ravens suffered a brutal 27-25 divisional-round playoff loss at the Buffalo Bills in January 2025. 

More recently, Bisciotti showed Harbaugh the door shortly after the Ravens fell to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of this past season. That loss resulted in the Ravens missing out on the playoffs and finishing the campaign with a record of 8-9.

In total, Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson went 3-5 as a playoff starter when Harbaugh was Jackson's head coach. Bisciotti seemingly expects Minter to earn more than a few postseason victories with the two-time MVP serving as Baltimore's QB1. 

Derrick Henry embracing "same approach" after Ravens' John Harbaugh move

"It’s the same approach," Henry added about preparing for his first season of working with Minter. "I love putting the work in, conditioning, being in the weight room, being around the guys. Around this time, this is where you get to tune up everything, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes. Then, when training camp comes around, you're rolling. But the offseason is just putting the work in as much as you can so the results will show when it is time."

Some think the 2026 season could be the last that Jackson spends with the Ravens unless the two sides sign a contract extension at some point this summer. Henry seems to be ignoring such chatter and is instead focusing on being at his best for Baltimore's Week 1 game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 13.