Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has accomplished almost everything an NFL player could hope realistically for. He has five Pro Bowl selections, an Offensive Player of the Year Award, and ranks in the top 20 all-time in rushing yards and top 10 in rushing touchdowns.
“Almost” is the key word there, however.
Through nine seasons, Henry still has yet to win a Super Bowl, or even appear in the big game. He’s come close a couple of times, most notably reaching the AFC Championship Game with the Tennessee Titans in 2019, but is still searching for his first Super Bowl appearance.
Heading into 2025, Henry’s motivation is unsurprisingly all about making it to the big game.
“To be honest with you, I mean, last year I kind of felt that a lot,” Henry said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “I just wanted to prove that I can still dominate this league and be a great player coming here and helping them and doing my job effectively.”
“But I feel like now the chip [on his shoulder], it’s not just that. I think it’s like for us as a team because I feel like we have everything we need to win a Super Bowl, win a championship. And I feel like the whole team should have that chip on their shoulder for us to go out there and prove that, so I don’t really try to think of it as much as me having a chip on my shoulder. But I just like to think, like: What are my other teammates thinking, how’re they approaching it, how do they feel? And we should all feel the same way, having that chip up, wanting to get what we want and working hard every day to make each other better to get that to happen.”
Henry has been pretty productive throughout his playoff career, rushing for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games. If the Ravens are going to win a Super Bowl this year, he’ll undoubtedly play a huge part in their victory.
“It would mean everything because that’s what I want,” Henry said. “That’s all I need, man. I got to get there. I got to get to the mountaintop. Pray to God, I get there before it’s all said and done.”
