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Turron Davenport, ESPN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry said on Tuesday that he has worked to forge a relationship with new general manager Ran Carthon and is not worried about reportedly being shopped around by the Titans in March.
Carthon denied shopping the Pro Bowl running back in April.
“Talking to him, meeting him in person. I’ve put a face with the name,” Henry said in his first public comments this offseason. “Just doing all of those things. When we get to football, we’re not worried about that other stuff.”
Henry rushed for 1,538 yards (his third-best total) last season and holds a $16.3 million cap hit this year. The Titans had limited cap space to work with during the offseason but have managed to add veteran free agents and still leave Henry’s contract intact. Tennessee used a third-round draft pick to select running back Tyjae Spears this year after selecting Hassan Haskins in the fourth round in 2022.
At 29 years old, Henry might be entering his final season with the Titans given how he has two low-cost voidable years remaining on his deal. Henry says he wants to hit the ground running in new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly’s scheme. That’s why Henry checked in for voluntary OTAs this season as opposed to working out on his own until the mandatory portion of the offseason starts.
“It’s a completely new offense, so I just came in here trying to learn everything,” Henry said. “I tried to get in here as early as I can to learn and fly around.”
Henry is entering his eighth NFL season, tying him with veteran safety Kevin Byard for the longest-tenured players on the team. Both players were selected in the 2016 draft. Byard was asked to take a pay cut during the offseason and refused. The veteran safety checked into minicamp after missing voluntary OTAs. The Titans were noticeably more energetic on defense with Byard on the field.