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Appearing in their fourth Super Bowl matchup in five years on February 11, the Kansas City Chiefs have become the premier destination for any veteran players looking for a shot at a championship.
That reality sets up four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry as a 2024 free agency option for KC according to Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon.
“Derrick Henry has arrived at a fork in the road of his career,” Kenyon explained. “Given that he’s earned more than $56 million as an NFL player, landing a high-end salary might not be Henry’s primary goal.”
“He’ll want to be fairly compensated, sure, but a chance to compete for a Super Bowl may supersede a desire to further pad his bank account,” the analyst went on, deducing: “If that indeed is the case, the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs would be two appealing low-budget destinations.”
Henry definitely sounded like an athlete that wanted to prioritize winning when speaking on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast on January 16. “At the end of the day, I want to win the Super Bowl,” the superstar told ex-teammates Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. “Wherever that is that gives me the best chance, that’s what I want to do.”
Kenyon also suggested the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers as potential landing spots for “King Henry,” estimating that the 30-year-old will likely make somewhere from $5 to $6 million in 2024, depending on where he signs and what his role is expected to be.
Derrick Henry Would Not Replace Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco
Just to be clear, Kenyon isn’t suggesting that Henry would replace rising star Isiah Pacheco as the lead backfield presence in KC. Instead, the former Tennessee Titans rushing champ would likely sign on to be a heavily-utilized RB2 — similar to what Dalvin Cook attempted with the New York Jets in 2023, even though that partnership crashed and burned.
The veteran would lighten the load for Pacheco, while also forming one of the most punishing RB duos in the league. I’d hate to be a tackler going up against those two all game long.
Another positive in bringing in Henry is his expected price tag. If the Chiefs want to retain defensive lineman Chris Jones and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in free agency, they may not be able to go after a top-tier wide receiver that wants $15 to $20 million per year.
Henry would give Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes another experienced playmaker to work with at a much more affordable rate.
Derrick Henry Signing Would Further Huge Shift in KC Offense
The Chiefs have started to become more of a running team in 2023. Don’t get me wrong, Mahomes still slings it quite often, but Pacheco and the strong interior offensive line trio of Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney and Trey Smith has helped KC become more balanced in recent seasons.
A Henry addition would certainly further that shift, taking the pressure off Mahomes to throw it 40-plus times a game.
Imagine the 2024 Chiefs as a defensive, run-first football team under Reid and Mahomes? It almost sounds wrong, but it could result in a similar level of success.
Running back isn’t the immediate need that fans will think of this offseason, but KC will need depth behind Pacheco. Whether they opt to re-sign UFAs Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, draft a backup, promote from within (La’Mical Perine or Deneric Prince) or target a veteran free agent, the front office will be considering RB options this spring.
Why not go big on a consistent, durable rushing tandem and a playmaker that the Chiefs were supposedly interested in drafting first round back in 2016?
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