How high Derrick Henry can climb in the NFL’s all-time leading rushers list
NASHVILLE – In 2024 at 30-years-old, running back Derrick Henry is more dominant than ever. The former Tennessee Titan and current Baltimore Raven leads the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards per carry, and yards per game. In the first seven games of the season, Henry already has two explosive runs for 80+ yards. […]
NASHVILLE – In 2024 at 30-years-old, running back Derrick Henry is more dominant than ever. The former Tennessee Titan and current Baltimore Raven leads the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards per carry, and yards per game.
In the first seven games of the season, Henry already has two explosive runs for 80+ yards. He's currently pacing for 2,120 rushing yards. It would be his second 2,000-yard season in his career and break the league's all-time record for a single season total.
After eclipsing the 10,000 career rushing yard threshold earlier this year and with how strong Henry is looking…it gets me wondering just how high he might climb on the all-time rushing leaderboard.
Henry is currently 30th all-time in career rushing yards. With 38 more yards on Sunday, he will surpass Marshawn Lynch for 29th. Eddie George (10,441) is within reach as well.
Let's try to be realistic and somewhat conservative with this projection. If Henry averages 80 yards per game the rest of the way in 2024, it would add 800 yards to his season total. That would give him 1,673 rushing yards on the season and 11,175 in his career. That's good for 22nd all-time.
If Henry were to repeat that same production with the Ravens in 2025 (which he is under contract for), his career total would rise to 12,848 yards. That would land him in the Top 10!
Furthermore, Henry is currently sitting just 12 rushing touchdowns away (98) from tying Walter Payton (110) for 5th on the all-time list. It's not unreasonable to think that he could pass Sweetness next season too.
When Henry left the Tennessee Titans in free agency, it didn't seem like a guarantee that he would land somewhere and get lion's share of the carries. But he seems to have found a perfect fit in Baltimore, and the threat of Lamar Jackson's legs have opened up more opportunities for Henry on the ground that he ever had with the Titans. It's nearly impossible to defend.
King Henry is far from done climbing the ranks to NFL immortality. And with every player he surpasses on the leaderboard, he further cements his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Derrick Henry passes 10,000 yards rushing: Why he’s the last NFL running back to reach that milestone
Derrick Henry has another milestone to add to his Hall of Fame NFL resume. This one proves he may be the last of a football dying breed.
