Derrick Henry expansion: Why background prefers Ravens seasoned RB to control once again in age-31 period

The NFL used to check out running backs striking the age of 30 as the golden of their professions.

That absolutely isn’t the scenario for Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry , that at age 30 last duration arised for the most rushing lawns (1, 921 in a period in NFL background by a player 30 or older. That number ranked as the second most in the organization in 2024 behind just NFL Offensive Gamer of the Year Saquon Barkley’s 2, 005 hurrying yards. Henry furthermore co-led the company in hurrying goals (16 while balancing a career-high 5 9 yards per lug, which led all running backs this previous period.

That’s why the Ravens granted the 6 -foot- 3 leviathan with a two-year, $ 30 million expansion with $ 25 million totally guaranteed that will preserve him in Baltimore by means of his age- 33 period in 2027

That stated, was it worth it for the Ravens to pay the aging five-time Pro Bowler presently rather after 2025 appropriate before Henry was readied to come to be a freelance? Can Henry’s manufacturing prepare diminish a high cliff, or will absolutely he remain among the NFL’s finest backs at age 31 in 2025, at age 32 in 2026 and age 33 in 2027

Enable’s look back on top- 10 rushing durations by a running back at the age of 30 or older throughout NFL history to see what they mention concerning Henry’s anticipated future production over the life of his new deal and if what Baltimore did deserved it.

10 Bears RB Walter Payton, age 30 (1983– 1, 421 hurrying lawns

Manufacturing in years after period:

• 1984: Led NFL with 1, 684 rushing yards at 31
• 1985: Ran for 1, 551 rushing lawns at 32
• 1986: Ran for 1, 333 hurrying lawns at 33
• 1987: * Retired after hurrying for 533 yards at 34

The Chicago Bears Hall of Appeal running back retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rush (16, 726 work rushing yards) complying with the 1987 period for an aspect. “Sweet taste” decreased to decrease right into his 30 s. No, Chicago really did not make the postseason in 1984 regardless of Payton’s initiatives, nonetheless that had even more to do with quarterback Jim McMahon tossing even more interceptions (13 than goals (12 His following 2 durations hereafter one are better down this leading 10 listing, a statement to Payton’s success.

9 Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, age 30 (2015– 1, 485 hurrying yards

Production in years after duration:

• 2016: Tore his crescent 3 video games right into period at 31
• * Simply fractured 1, 000 again in last 6 NFL periods

The age of 30 considerable future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson’s last fantastic duration. He dragged the Minnesota Vikings to an 11 – 5 record and NFC North division title by leading the company in hurrying yards (1, 485, rushing goals (11 and brings (237 Nevertheless, his body damaged down the actually list below duration at the age of 31 when he experienced a torn crescent injury simply 3 computer game right into the 2015 duration. Peterson fought in his first duration back, subscribing 529 yards rushing and 2 goals on 156 lugs in 10 video games played in 2017 at the age of 32 He recovered for his last 1, 000 -yard duration in 2017 with Washington when he selected 1, 042 yards hurrying and 7 goals on 251 brings. Peterson was never ever the precise very same after his age- 30 period.

8 Lions RB Barry Sanders, age 30 (1998– 1, 491 hurrying yards

Production in years after duration:

• * Retired after 1998 duration

Detroit Lions Hall of Popularity running back Barry Sanders still turns up plenty nowadays when the sporting activities conversation modifications to expert athletes heading out on their own terms. Sanders glided his methods to 1, 491 yards going into 1998 at three decades old, which put as the fourth most in the NFL that year and landed him on the All-Pro junior varsity.

Nonetheless, his Lions went 5 – 11 and lost out on the playoffs that year, which led to Sanders retiring after the eighth-best rushing project in NFL history at the age of 30 or older. Sanders bore in mind in a docudrama in 2023 that not seeing the Lions as a Super Dish rival was an essential factor for his retired life.

“For me, merely that factor that drove me to play, which is that enthusiasm, simply had actually not existed,” Sanders stated in Amazon’s docudrama worrying the Hall of Appeal back. “There was definitely nothing absolutely delegated bet. I actually did not see us as any kind of sort of an extreme Super Recipe rival. … I felt like I was making an instead clear selection. I merely seemed like, in my mind, this is virtually it.”

7 Bears RB Walter Payton, age 32 (1985– 1, 551 hurrying lawns

Manufacturing in years after period:

• 1986: Ran for 1, 333 rushing yards at 33
• 1987: * Retired after hurrying for 533 yards at 34

Walter Payton was a timeless wonder. At the age of 32 in 1985, he competed 1, 551 yards (the third most in the NFL) and 9 hurrying goals (linked for the 8th most in the NFL) on 324 brings. He was the engine of the Bears’ second-ranked acquiring infraction (28 5 factors per computer game) that duration as Chicago blended its approach to a 15 – 1 regular duration en course to winding up being Super Dish XX champs. Payton still had another high-level period in the container at age 33 the list below year before the wheels diminished at age 34 in 1987

6 Patriots RB Corey Dillon, age 30 (2004– 1, 635 rushing lawns

Production in years after period:

• 2005, 2006: Integrated to hurry for 1, 545 yards throughout his last 2 NFL periods at ages 31 and 32

The New England Patriots traded a 2004 second-round choice to the Cincinnati Bengals for 30 -year-old running back Corey Dillon, and they struck it abundant. Dillon appeared for a career-high 1, 635 yards rushing at the age of 30, the third most in the NFL that period, along with 12 hurrying objectives, connected for the 8th most in the organization that year. His manufacturing assisted power the Patriots to a 14 – 2 regular-season record en course to winning Super Dish XXXIX, their 2nd straight title. However, he never ever before covered 1, 000 yards once again throughout his last 2 durations and New England quit working to go back to the Super Dish in those 2005 and 2006 projects.

5 Giants RB Tiki Barber, age 31 (2006– 1, 662 hurrying lawns

Production in years after period:

• * Retired after 2006 duration

Barber complied with up the No. 2 rushing period on this listing (1, 860 lawns entering 2005 at the age of 30 with one more 1, 600 -yard duration in 2006 He ranked 4th in the NFL in rushing yards that year while ranking fourth in the company in lawns per bring (5 1 among running backs. New york city went 8 – 8 that year, yet they stopped working to win a championship game, dropping 23 – 20 in the NFC wild card round versus the Philly Eagles Barber parlayed his excellent last 2 durations right into a broadcasting function with NBC Sports upon his retired life.

4 Bears RB Walter Payton, age 31 (1984– 1, 684 rushing yards

Manufacturing in years after duration:

• 1985: Ran for 1, 551 hurrying lawns at 32
• 1986: Ran for 1, 333 hurrying yards at 33
• 1987: * Retired after hurrying for 533 yards at 34

The second-best duration of Payton’s all-time occupation happened at the age of 31 in 1984 when he blew up for 1, 684 yards rushing, the second most in the NFL behind Eric Dickerson’s 2, 105 and 11 rushing objectives, the 7th most in the organization. He assisted power the Bears to a 10 – 6 document and an NFC Central division title as Chicago got to the NFC National championship. Nevertheless, they could not exceed the supreme Super Dish champ San Francisco 49 ers , shedding 23 -0. Payton still had lots of gas in the tank as his previously mentioned entrances on this list recommend.

3 Jets RB Curtis Martin, age 31 (2004– 1, 697 rushing lawns

Manufacturing in years after duration:

• 2005: Hurried for 735 yards and 5 objectives at 32
• * Retired after 2005 period

Curtis Martin gained his location in the Pro Football Hall of Popularity with a career-high 1, 697 yards rushing, which led the NFL, at the age of 31 years of ages in the 2004 duration. His production pressed the Jets right into the postseason where they advanced to the AFC local round prior to dropping 20 – 17 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers After gaining the only first-team All-Pro option of his work, Martin discolored at the age of 32 before retiring after the 2005 period.

2 Giants RB Tiki Barber, age 30 (2005– 1, 860 rushing yards

Production in years after duration:

• 2006: Rushed for 1, 662 yards at 31
• * Retired after 2006 duration

Barber held the leading area on this list for basically twenty years before King Henry took his crown in 2024 His 1, 860 yards going into 2005 at the age of 30 were the second most in the organization, merely 20 yards behind 2005 NFL MVP running back Shaun Alexander’s 1, 880 Barber similarly consisted of 9 rushing objectives, connected for the 10 th most in the organization, while stabilizing 5 2 yards per lug, which was connected for the second most in the organization amongst running backs.

New york city city reached the postseason with an 11 – 5 document and an NFC East title, yet gotten smoked in the wild card round 23 -0 by the Carolina Panthers Barber complied with up this task with the No. 5 period on this list in 2006 prior to retiring.

1 Ravens RB Derrick Henry, age 30 (2024– 1, 921 hurrying yards

Manufacturing in years after period: TBD

As mentioned on top of this thing, Henry transformed the clock back with a classic period while stabilizing a career-high 5 9 yards per bring, which led all running backs in 2024 This period made Henry the only player in NFL history with countless durations with over 1, 900 yards rushing. He and quarterback Lamar Jackson incorporated for both among one of the most rushing yards by a duo (2, 836 and one of the most overall yards by a duo (7, 201 in a solitary duration in NFL history.

Did Ravens make the proper action by expanding Henry presently?

Judgment: Yes, they did. Going off the history of this leading 10 listing, the physical sampling that Henry is and his maintaining stars, Baltimore made the appropriate action. 4 of the periods on this list were when running backs were 31 or 32 years old– Martin in 2004 at 31, Payton in 1984 at 31, Barber in 2006 at 31 and Payton in 1985 at 32

Henry is an all-time physical marvel, and he gets to align together with the NFL’s most frightening dual-threat quarterback in Jackson. Jackson, the 2024 first-team All-Pro quarterback, came to be the very first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 4, 000 lawns and compete over 800 lawns in a solitary duration in 2024 With defenses requiring to sweat concerning either gamer hurrying with the football, that attracts rate of interest far from Henry.

Baltimore additionally secured Henry at the reduced cap hit of $ 5 589 million in 2026 at the age of 32 by accrediting him early. Need to the wheels diminish after 2026, there isn’t any kind of guaranteed cash remaining to get on the sell 2027 when he is 33 The Ravens can decrease him in the 2027 offseason and save $ 9 242 million in cap space. Standard supervisor Eric DeCosta protected a generational running back wherefore make sure to be the last reliable years of his task at a cost-controlled price. That’s a substantial success for the Ravens.