The Giants have been connected to Jonathan Taylor, but if they’re shopping for a running back, Derrick Henry deserves a spot on the call sheet too.
That idea came from NBC Sports’ Mike Florio on Monday, who floated Henry as a possible alternative. It’s worth stressing what that is and what it isn’t: speculation about a fit, not reporting that the Giants and Ravens are negotiating or that Baltimore has made Henry available.
Henry’s tie to John Harbaugh is obvious. He played for Harbaugh in Baltimore, and this season he’s still carrying a heavy load, with 632 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries through eight games. That kind of usage says plenty about what he can still handle, even as teams weigh the reality of a 32-year-old back with a long history of contact.
The financial piece is where any potential reunion gets tricky. Florio reported that Henry’s 2027 salary is $12 million and that none of it is guaranteed. Even so, any team interested in making a move would still need to sort through the rest of the money and figure out what Baltimore would want in return before calling it a bargain.
For the Giants, that means the price has to be right. If they’re going to ask about Henry, it should come with a firm limit on both draft compensation and remaining salary. Taylor comes with a different age and contract setup, and keeping the current roster intact would leave the Giants with more resources to continue addressing a defense they’ve also tried to improve.
Baltimore’s situation could eventually influence things, especially with quarterback injuries changing the picture. But that doesn’t mean the Ravens are ready to move their lead back. New York’s need is real after Tyrone Tracy Jr. went on injured reserve, but urgency by itself shouldn’t set the market.
Harbaugh knows exactly what Henry can do in his offense. Whether Baltimore would actually deal him, and what it would take to pry him loose, is the real question.
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