The Baltimore Ravens may have suffered a rather stunning loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but at least running back Derrick Henry was able to achieve some history in the process.
Henry carried the ball 11 times for 73 yards and a touchdown, and in reaching the end zone, he became the first player in NFL history to score in each of his first eight games with a team.
Henry now has 946 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground this season, averaging an incredible 6.5 yards per carry.
The Ravens signed Henry in free agency back in March, and based on Henry’s age and mileage, there were legitimate questions about how well he would produce in 2024.
Plus, Henry logged a pedestrian 4.2 yards per attempt with the Tennessee Titans last season, which indicated a decline.
Clearly, that has not been the case.
Henry leads the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns through the first eight weeks of the season, a truly amazing feat given that he his 30 years old.
The Yulee, Fl. native, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He spent the first eight years of his career in Tennessee, earning four Pro Bowl appearances and pacing the league in rushing yards and rushing scores back-to-back campaigns in 2019 and 2020. His best year came in the latter season, when he racked up 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Henry is the NFL’s active leader in career rushing yards, having totaled 10,448 yards on the ground thus far. And he appears to be far from done.
Baltimore saw its five-game winning streak snapped against the Browns. It will host the Denver Broncos next Sunday.