At 31, Derrick Henry looks like he’s sprinting toward a spot that most running backs never even touch: the NFL’s top‑10 all‑time rushing yardage club. He entered the 2025 campaign sitting 18th with 11,423 yards, but the numbers from his first year in Baltimore suggest the climb could be swift if health and opportunity stay on his side.
What the 2024 season tells us about his trajectory
Henry’s 2024 performance was a textbook answer to every "age is a factor" headline. He totaled 1,921 rushing yards – the 11th‑largest single‑season output ever – while averaging a career‑best 5.9 yards per carry. Those figures weren’t just flashy; they came with 909 yards after contact, 42 broken tackles, and a franchise‑record 16 rushing touchdowns that tied for the league lead.
Beyond raw totals, the veteran back rewrote the record books in three ways:
- First running back ever with three separate 1,500‑yard, 15‑touchdown seasons.
- Joined an elite trio of players to post at least 1,500 yards and 15 TDs in three different years.
- Matched Jim Brown’s 106 career rushing touchdowns, tying for sixth all‑time.
His dominance earned a fifth Pro Bowl nod and a third second‑team All‑Pro nod, reinforcing that the Ravens’ offense still views him as a centerpiece, not a relic.
Can he crack the top‑10 this year? The key variables
Reaching the tenth spot means eclipsing the 12,000‑yard mark – a gap of roughly 600 yards from his current total. Here’s what needs to happen:
- Stay healthy. Henry’s style is high‑impact; avoiding a major injury is paramount. The Ravens have tailored their blocking schemes to keep him upright, and the two‑year, $30 million extension (with $25 million guaranteed) shows they’ll protect him.
- Maintain a high per‑game output. Over the 2024‑2025 period he’s averaged 111.2 rushing yards per game, second only to Saquon Barkley among active backs. Replicating that pace across a full 17‑game schedule would net the needed yardage.
- Ravens stay run‑heavy.
- Exploit postseason opportunities. Henry’s 186‑yard debut against Pittsburgh proves he can add extra yards in the playoffs, which count toward career totals.
Coach John Harbaugh has already placed Henry in the same conversation as Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Eric Dickerson. That public endorsement isn’t just hype; it informs game planning, play‑calling, and the overall offensive rhythm.
Consider the math: If Henry hits his 2024 average of 111 yards per game for the remaining 14 regular‑season games, he’ll finish the season with roughly 1,554 yards. Add that to his 11,423 career total and he’s sitting right at 12,977 yards – comfortably inside the top‑10 range. Even a modest dip to 95 yards per game would still leave him within 100 yards of the cutoff.
Beyond the numbers, there’s a narrative shift. When the Titans released him after 2023, the consensus was that his prime had passed. Baltimore bought him, gave him a workhorse role, and he responded with a near‑record year. The story now is about a veteran reshaping the historical leaderboard, not a rookie chasing a record.
Teammates are catching on, too. Center Tyler Linderbaum joked Henry will still be “playing in 30 years,” highlighting the locker‑room belief in his durability. Henry himself says he’ll retire when he feels ready, not because a calendar tells him to.
All eyes will be on each rush, each broken tackle, and each Monday night spotlight as the season unfolds. If he keeps the momentum, the top‑10 entry could be more than a statistical footnote – it could become the defining chapter of his NFL legacy.