OWINGS MILLS, Md. — During the first week of Baltimore’s organized team activities, Derrick Henry ran forward after a fake handoff, accidentally knocked knees with a defensive player and fell to the ground. Players fell silent as Henry remained on his back for several minutes. “I probably laid there too long,” Henry said after practice. He stood, tucked a ball under his right arm, flexed his knee and returned to team drills.
Henry’s availability has provided continuity at a position that was unsettled for a decade after the Ravens cut Ray Rice following the 2013 season. Baltimore cycled through running backs including Justin Forsett, Alex Collins, Gus Edwards, Mark Ingram II and Devonta Freeman during that period.
Since arriving from the Tennessee Titans, Henry ran the ball 325 times in 2024, the second-most single-season rush attempts in franchise history, and followed with 307 carries last season. Over the past four seasons he has been sidelined once and has started 51 straight games. He is 1,901 yards shy of crackling the NFL’s top five all-time rushers and is seeking more than 1,500 rushing yards for a third straight season for the first time in his career.
Henry said offseason preparation — conditioning, weight-room work and tuning up during OTAs — is the foundation for being ready when training camp arrives. He is adjusting to a new staff in Baltimore, where Jesse Minter is the head coach and Declan Doyle the offensive coordinator. Henry had five offensive coordinators in eight seasons with the Titans: Terry Robiskie, Matt LaFleur, Arthur Smith, Todd Downing and Tim Kelly.
Minter praised Henry’s approach, calling him “an unbelievable example” of how to operate when trying to learn and get better. The Ravens have reworked their offensive line, with only left tackle Ronnie Stanley and right tackle Roger Rosengarten returning as starters. Baltimore drafted guard Olaivavega Ioane at No. 14 overall and signed guard John Simpson to a three-year, $30 million contract; longtime backup Danny Pinter is the current starting center.
Simpson said he could not contain his excitement about blocking for Henry, calling the prospect “crazy” and “insane.”
