Getty The Eagles could pursue Titans RB Derrick Henry if he becomes available via trade.
The Philadelphia Eagles may be a potential trade destination for one of the biggest running back names in the NFL.
According to betting odds from PointsBet Sportsbook — as noted by NBC Sports’ Mike Florio — the Eagles are one of the top teams listed in a potential trade for Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. In fact, the Eagles are given the third-best betting odds at +500, behind only the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Fellow Super Bowl contenders such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are also being given the same betting odds as Philadelphia when it comes to acquiring Henry.
As noted by Florio, the Eagles make sense as a potential destination for the 29-year-old running back due to the allure of competing for a championship. Henry has never played in a Super Bowl and has only appeared in a conference championship game just once during his seven-year career. Considering the Titans are potentially rebuilding after unloading key veterans such as offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, wide receiver Robert Woods and linebacker Bud Dupree, it would make sense for Tennessee to shop their three-time Pro Bowl running back.
“The Chiefs, Bills, and Eagles come in at +500. Buffalo and Philly make a ton of sense; if Henry is willing to do a reasonable deal in the hopes of chasing a championship, those would be the places to go,” says Florio.
Conflicting Reports on Derrick Henry’s Availability
There are conflicting reports on whether or not the veteran running back is actually being shopped in trade talks. According to Michael Silver of Bally Sports, Henry was among the players shopped during the scouting combine.
“According to my sources — all of them current general managers — Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Arizona Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins are among the players who’ve been shopped in recent days,” said Silver on Sunday, March 5.
However, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Henry is not being shopped in trade talks.
“I know there’s talk that the Titans are shopping running back Derrick Henry but my sources tell me they are not,” says Jones. “I had been told general manager Ran Carthon would be ‘methodical’ in his approach to free agency and changes to the team.”
Derrick Henry Would Become Top RB Available on Market
Assuming Henry is available, he would emerge as the best viable option at running back for the Eagles. With Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs likely returning to their respective teams under the franchise tag, the free agency market at running back is suddenly lacking elite runners. When one considers that Miles Sanders will hit free agency, Philadelphia could be looking for a replacement.
The question, would the Eagles be willing to make a blockbuster trade where they likely surrender draft capital in addition to paying Henry? The star running back’s base salary is $10.5 million for the 2023 season and he’s the second-highest paid player at his position. However, as Jason Katz of Pro Football Network notes, Philadelphia could afford Henry as a one-year rental.
“The Eagles have enough cap space to make Henry’s contract work for a season,” says Katz. “They could defer money to future years if necessary. He’s also pretty much a one-year rental, as his current four-year deal expires after this season.”
The Eagles do operate mainly out of the shotgun, which could limit Henry’s production considering he operates best when the quarterback is under center. With that being said, Henry’s dynamic ability and Jalen Hurts’ presence at quarterback should be able to offset any early struggles the veteran back may have in Philadelphia’s offense.
If Henry is available, there won’t be any shortage of suitors for arguably the NFL’s best pure runner. It all simply comes down to whether or not the Eagles are willing to surrender the assets in addition to paying Henry’s salary.