Derrick Henry confirmed within the Baltimore Ravens Week 1 blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts that he nonetheless has the power to take over a sport, at the same time as he performs at an age when most operating backs are both dramatically slowing down or are out of the NFL completely.
His sturdiness and longevity are simply two of the issues that make Henry probably the most spectacular gamers on the place, and are helping him climb the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
However is there an opportunity that he may climb all the best way to the highest earlier than he retires?
The NFL’s present all-time dashing champion, Emmitt Smith, believes he may.
The excellent news for Smith? His file might be secure. No less than because it pertains to Henry.
Emmitt Smith’s all-time dashing file might be out of attain for Derrick Henry
Smith said that he believes “it is attainable” for Henry to finally take over his file, citing his conditioning and the best way he takes care of his physique.
Henry’s work ethic and offseason coaching are nicely established, and it is a main a part of his skill to maintain dominating nicely into his 30s.
The issue is that Smith’s mark remains to be to date forward of the place Henry at the moment is.
Smith retired with 18,355 yards, almost 2,000 greater than Walter Payton, who nonetheless occupies the No. 2 spot on the checklist.
He’s 5,193 yards forward of Henry, who’s at the moment tenth on the all-time checklist.
Even with a 17-game schedule, and even perhaps the potential for an 18-game schedule within the close to future, that is a gigantic job for a 32-year-old operating again.
No operating again has ever rushed for greater than 5,000 yards within the NFL after beginning their age 32 season.
The one two who’ve topped even 4,000 yards after beginning their age 32 season are Frank Gore (dashing for 4,927 yards after beginning his age 32 season) and John Riggins (4,530 yards after beginning his age 32 season). Matching Gore’s whole would nonetheless go away him over 350 yards brief. It might additionally require him to common at the least 1,500 yards per season for the following three years, and nonetheless coming again for a fourth 12 months past that. That’s simply asking for lots, and it may not be cheap.
Henry remains to be one of many NFL’s greatest, and he’s going to complete his profession extraordinarily excessive on the all-time checklist. It simply may not be close to the highest. That could be a testomony to how productive and sturdy Smith was throughout his personal profession to have that a lot distance between him and all people else.
