Derrick Henry isn’t spending training camp wondering how much longer he can keep doing this. He’s spending it doing what he has always done: preparing to run through another season and let the rest sort itself out.
That mindset has carried him this far, and it has helped make him one of the rare backs who keeps beating the usual age curve. In two seasons in Baltimore, Henry has produced at a level most teams figured was out of reach at his age and after all the punishment he has taken. There were some signs of the wear and tear in 2025 - a little less burst, some short-yardage trouble after back-to-back 300-carry seasons - but far fewer than what usually shows up for a running back in this stage of his career.
Still, Henry isn’t interested in turning that into a retirement conversation.
“I ain’t really trying to get into the expectation thing,” Henry said. “I’m just going out there to do my job … I’m focused on playing at a high level and giving my maximum effort.”
He doubled down on that later Thursday afternoon, during his 11th training camp, making it clear his mind isn’t drifting toward an exit.
“I don’t try to enter another season thinking about retirement or having that on my mind,” Henry explained. “That’s not even in my mindset.”
The numbers behind what he has done are staggering. Henry is now at 2,800 carries and 13,000 rushing yards in his career, including playoffs.
Since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, only two rushing seasons have reached even 4.5 yards per carry while handling more than 200 attempts: Walter Peyton and Ricky Williams. Henry has been at 5.5 per carry as a Raven.
That kind of workload makes managing him a major part of the plan. There isn’t much proven depth at running back, and rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is stepping into the job with a foundation built on the run game. The people around him want to pound the football, then build everything else off that - play action, deep shots, all of it.
“I do think - like all the players - we’re going to have to be really smart to get him through the long season,” rookie head coach Jesse Minter said Thursday. “I don’t look at that as he’s slowing down, from that standpoint. But that’s our job … But again man the way that guy goes about his business is really impressive … He’s definitely one of a kind.”
Doyle’s background comes from Broncos head coach Sean Payton and one year with Bears head coach Ben Johnson, two coaches who lean hard into old-school run principles and under-center football. Their offenses use a lot of multiplicity, with players moving between tight end, fullback, H-back, halfback and receiver. That approach fits the direction this team wants to go, and it fits Henry too.
Payton, speaking on “The Daily Flock Show” about Doyle, put it this way: “I’m a little bit of a traditionalist in a few ways,”
That’s not just talk. The offense is expected to lean into under-center looks, I formation sets and Henry in the kind of role that has always suited him.
During his time in Tennessee, no one had more under-center carries than Henry. The pistol and shotgun snaps that have defined so much of the Lamar Jackson era are expected to fade.
Henry’s preparation has become part of his legend, from his workouts to his diet to the money and time he pours into his body. The reputation is real, though he says the picture people paint of his routine is more extreme than reality.
He does have cheat days. He is not living like a machine every second of the year.
But the investment is still enormous, and it is all aimed at one thing: keeping his career going at a high level.
“Some days are going to feel better than other days,” Henry conceded, “but if that’s what you want to do and that’s what you’re trying to do (to keep shining at this age) …. You have to overcome it.”
He also leaned on a line from Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells: “the best ability is availability.”
That has been Henry’s calling card. He said he wants more, too, though he kept it simple when talking about goals.
“I want to do better than the year before, and I want to win the championship.”
If he can top last season’s line - 307 carries for 1595 yards, 5.2 per rush, and 16 touchdowns - it would be one of the great seasons for a back anywhere near his age. It would also give the Ravens a much better chance to move past last year’s losing season and chase a third Lombardi Trophy.
Only then, maybe, would Henry entertain the thought of what comes next.
“I love the game,” Henry said. “And once I feel like that love is gone, then I’ll hang it up. But I’m just focused on getting better.”
In Other News...
Ravens Just Reopened A Major Question In Front Of Lamar Jackson
The Ravens thought they had at least added some clarity when they brought in veteran center Ethan Pocic, but the middle of the offensive line is still anything but settled. Head coach Jesse Minter said there is no established starter at center, leaving Baltimore to sort through a spot that matters plenty for keeping Lamar Jackson comfortable and the offense on schedule.
Pocic is part of the mix, but so are Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn, and neither has separated from the pack yet. For a line that needs stability more than anything, the uncertainty in the middle is a real issue heading into the season, especially with the Ravens still trying to figure out who will snap the ball and anchor the protection. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Camp Opened With A Huge Sign For Lamar And This Defense
The Ravens opened camp under new head coach Jesse Minter with a noticeably different feel, leaning into shorter, more efficient practices and a quicker pace on offense. Declan Doyles first day as coordinator brought a fresh structure to the unit, while Lamar Jackson got his first look at a rebuilt offensive line and a group that has been reshaped by several roster additions at both line and skill positions.
Baltimore also got an important boost on defense with Nnamdi Madubuike back in the mix after his neck injury, giving the front a familiar anchor as camp begins to take shape. There were some early rough edges elsewhere, including a few shaky moments for Mark Andrews in practice, but the bigger question for the Ravens is how quickly the new system settles in around Jackson and whether the offense can find its rhythm before the real evaluations begin. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Offense Has Two Alarming Flaws Declan Doyle Must Fix
The Ravens offense is entering a reset under new playcaller Declan Doyle, and the first order of business is making it less easy to defend. Baltimore leaned heavily on Zay Flowers for receiving production last season, while the rest of the passing game never really forced defenses to pick their poison. With Doyle bringing influences from Sean Payton and Sean McVay, the expectation is that the offense will look more varied in how it lines up and how it distributes touches.
That shift could matter just as much in how the Ravens operate before the snap. Doyle is expected to mix tempo, cadence and personnel more aggressively, which would be a noticeable change for a group that spent much of last season in the gun and too often settled into a predictable rhythm. The bigger question is whether Baltimore has enough receiving balance right now to make those wrinkles count, or whether the offense is still waiting on another pass catcher to emerge. [Read more 🡒]