Although his new team — the Baltimore Ravens — suffered a heartbreaking loss in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Buffalo Bills, running back Derrick Henry had an amazing season.
He ended up with 1,921 rushing yards and was tied for the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL at 16, and he also averaged an outstanding 5.9 yards per carry.
Those accomplishments helped him make some unique NFL history.
“Derrick Henry’s 93.5 rushing grade in 2024 was the best ever recorded in the PFF-era,” Pro Football Focus wrote on X.
PFF started grading players in 2006.
In 2023 with the Tennessee Titans, Henry put up 1,167 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns at an average of 4.2 yards per carry, and with him turning 30 years old, it was thought that he might be nearing the end of his viability.
Historically, NFL running backs hit a wall in terms of productivity around age 30, but Henry pushed back big time with one of the better seasons any running back has ever had.
In doing so, he took lots of pressure off of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and made the team one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl, and it should remain an elite team going into the 2025 campaign.
Henry has one year remaining on the contract he signed last offseason, and the Ravens reportedly are looking into the possibility of signing him to an extension sometime soon.
