Derrick Henry’s departure was inevitable. He said his goodbyes after leading the Titans past Jacksonville back in January when the regular season ended.
But when he signed Wednesday with the Baltimore Ravens, Titans fans surely hearkened back to the unpleasant memories of Steve McNair, Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle leaving Nashville to don the purple and black of one of Tennessee’s most bitter rivals.
Still, who can blame Henry for taking the deal after eight years in Tennessee of toiling and the team coming up just short in the playoffs. He wanted no part of a rebuild and a system change that would have left him as just a role player in that new offensive scheme.
Baltimore made the most sense because it still utilizes a power running scheme. Having quarterback Lamar Jackson – always a threat to run –in the backfield with Henry could make the King an even more-dangerous runner.
Henry stated as he finished with the Titans that his next goal was to win a Super Bowl. That’s something the Ravens can potentially offer him since they were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season before being upset by Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes in the conference championship game.
Maybe with Henry in the backfield, Jackson can finally get over his playoff bugaboos and find a way to get past Mahomes.
And while Titans fans will certainly wish the best for Henry, who gave so much to the team for eight years, it will probably wouldn’t sit well to see him hoist a Lombardi Trophy wearing Ravens colors.