Derrick Henry's performance is a sign of Titans' ineptitude

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ravens RB Derrick Henry moving up on NFL's all-time rushing TD list another example of Titans' ineptitude

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Sep 13, 2026 7:05 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans probably miss Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry even more now.

In the Ravens' 41-23 Week 1 road win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Henry moved ahead of Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (123) on the all-time rushing touchdowns list with a 32-yarder in the third quarter. The Ravens star finished with three rushing TDs on Sunday. With 125 rushing TDs, he's now third behind HOFers LaDainian Tomlinson (145) and Emmitt Smith (164).

The Titans, well, let's just say Henry's better than a significant portion of their active roster.

Derrick Henry moving up all-time rushing TDs list highlights Titans' recent ineptitude

In Week 1, the Titans lost to the lowly New York Jets, who went 3-14 last season. And they didn't just lose; they were outclassed.

KING HENRY RUMBLES IN FOR ANOTHER TD!!

BALvsIND on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/4h8WpRsLW5
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

The Jets beat the Titans 23-10 in their home game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Tennessee didn't score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter when second-year quarterback Cam Ward tossed an 11-yarder to second-year wide receiver Elic Ayomanor.

"We'll get there," new Titans head coach Robert Saleh said in a postgame news conference (h/t Lane Mills of Tennessee Titans on SI). "I get it wasn't good enough. But we have to find a way to get better, and we will."

But how can they get better when the roster is clearly devoid of talent? The Titans — who have gone 6-29 over their last 35 games — averaged a lousy four yards per play on Sunday.

Don't trust the front office to pull the Titans out of this shipwreck. It's one reason the Music City football team remains a sinking vessel.

Mike Borgonzi has since replaced Ran Carthon as general manager, but his mistakes are difficult to erase. That included letting Henry walk in free agency in 2024 and replacing him with former Dallas Cowboy Tony Pollard.

Now, Pollard, who had seven carries for 35 yards on Sunday, isn't a bad player, but he's no "King Henry." Per StatMuse, Henry, 32, led the league in rushing yards (3,516) and rushing touchdowns (32) over the past two seasons. Pollard, meanwhile, ranked 10th in rushing yards (2,161) and 17th in rushing TDs (10) during this span.

Those numbers are decent for Pollard, but the Titans would much rather have Henry, as well as a do-over on many of their other recent decisions.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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