Getty Images Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans.
The Green Bay Packers are in the market for a running back and one of the best in recent NFL history is about to hit the open market.
Green Bay is in a tie for fifth place in the sweepstakes to land two-time rushing champion and four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry, still technically of the Tennessee Titans. Those odds are according to Draft Kings Sportsbook, which listed them on Tuesday, February 13.
The Packers came in at +1000 to nab Henry, who will hit free agency on March 13 assuming he doesn’t agree to an extension with the Titans before then. That outcome is highly unlikely, as Henry is now 30 years old and has said among his primary motivations to continue playing for multiple seasons is to compete for, and ultimately win, a Super Bowl ring.
While it may not have appeared the case at several points during last regular season, Green Bay is actually one of the better destinations for Henry to accomplish that goal. The Packers are tied with the Houston Texans for the 10th-best odds to win the 2025 Super Bowl, per ESPN Bet on February 11.
Derrick Henry Remains Capable of Carrying Load, Can Replace Packers’ Rushing Attack on His Own
GettyRunning back Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans.
One fact about Henry is clear — he can still carry the load for a team’s rushing attack, and do so successfully, despite his age and eight years of NFL tread on his proverbial tires.
Henry has led the league in rushing attempts in four of the last five years, per Pro Football Reference. The only season in which he failed to do so was 2021, when Henry played in just eight games due to injury issues.
The running back was a Pro Bowler in all four of those seasons, leading the league in rushing yards and rushing TDs in 2019 (1,540 yards and 16 TDs) and 2020 (2,027 and 17 TDs) while with the Titans. Tennessee made the playoffs both seasons, including one run that ended in an AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs following the 2019 campaign.
A Pro Bowler and the league leader in rushing attempts in each of the previous two seasons, Henry can come in and replace fan-favorite Aaron Jones if Green Bay decides their long-time starter is too expensive to keep. Jones will carry a salary cap hit of nearly $17.6 million in 2024, and the Packers can save $11.3 million by cutting or trading him after June 1.
Packers Can Offer Henry 2 Future Career Paths, Either of Which May Suit Him
GettyTennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Carrying the load on his own may be something that Henry wants. However, if he’s looking for a little reprieve so as to extend his career — and thereby his chances at capturing a title — the Packers may be able to offer him that as well.
Backup running back AJ Dillon will be a free agent next month and is coming off his worst NFL campaign since his rookie year. Green Bay can attempt to restructure Jones’ contract to bring his cap hit down and add Henry after parting ways with Dillon.
Doing so would provide the Packers with an older 1-2 punch in the backfield, though still a potent one given how well Henry played all of last season and how strong Jones came on at the end of the year once healthy. The two together may be more money that most franchises are willing to spend on a running back tandem in the modern NFL, where the position is continuously devalued.
However, Green Bay has shown more of a willingness to pay for that facet of offense than most. And while that may buck up against some analytics models, well-run teams have often found value in swimming against the current rather than with the rising tide of group think.
The Packers front office showed both a willingness and an effectiveness in this regard by trading Aaron Rodgers, betting huge on QB Jordan Love and then making it within a bounce or two of the NFC Championship Game in January.
That kind of leadership, combined with the team’s long- and short-term history of success and a chance to play a major role on a young and talented offense renders Green Bay a great fit for a player like Henry this offseason.