The Tennessee Titans made the surprising decision to fire head coach Mike Vrabel following his second straight losing season in Nashville, as they prepare for a rebuild. That rebuild may include parting ways with a franchise icon in running back Derrick Henry.
Henry, who just turned 30, is now a free agent. In 2023, the two-time NFL rushing yards leader and rushing touchdowns leader led the league in rushing attempts (280), ranked second in rushing yards (1,167) and was tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns (12). Henry still has some gas in the tank, and with the Titans organization now heading in a different direction, it's widely believed the franchise's No. 2 leading rusher could be playing football elsewhere in 2024.
At the trade deadline this season, Henry was the subject of many a headline. Tennessee shipped off longtime star safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles, and some viewed Henry as the next domino to fall. However, Henry was not traded, and finished out the season with the team that drafted him No. 45 overall back in 2016.
During a recent appearance on "Bussin' With the Boys," a podcast hosted by former Titans Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Henry revealed that he was close to being traded in the middle of the season.
"I felt like it was close," Henry said. "It was close. It was close, boys. It was close."
Compton asked Henry who he was going to be traded to, and if they made the playoffs this year.
"Yeah, I know two for sure," Henry said. "The other one, I don't know if that would have happened. But one of them, I felt like it was pretty close. A lot went down between ... that little saga with the trade."
Titans RB Derrick Henry says he was “close” to being traded. Made it sound very close.
— Jordan Dajani (@JordanDajani) January 17, 2024
Said 2 suitors he knew of are currently in the playoffs.
(@BussinWTB) pic.twitter.com/QdT7kx0rPC
NFL Media reported at the trade deadline that the Titans were not shopping Henry, but that they did receive at least one offer. Compensation always looked like an issue, as the Titans reportedly wanted more than just a mid-round pick for one of the best players in franchise history.
As for the playoff teams that were pursuing Henry, one could guess the Eagles were potentially looking to poach another star from Tennessee. The Baltimore Ravens are another team that could have inquired about the rusher that crossed 2,000 yards back in 2020.
