Derrick Henry is already one of the best running backs the NFL has ever seen, but this season he will have the chance to forever etch his name among the greats. The “King,” as they call him, is on the verge of cracking a list that only Hall of Famers are on. And he seems juiced to cross the finish line.
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It was revealed recently that Henry is just 1,317 yards away from becoming top-10 all-time in rushing yards. Sitting at 11,423 for his career, he finds himself in 19th place on the all-time list. But with one more good season, Henry could pass great names like Tony Dorsett en route to the top 10.
Surprisingly, Henry didn’t know about this. So, when he was made aware of it recently, he had to take a moment to collect his thoughts.
“When you say something like that, it’s a surreal moment to be able to have that opportunity to be in that conversation,” Henry told Sarah Ellison, co-host of a Ravens podcast.
“God has blessed me tremendously. Since I was 5 years old, I fell in love with this game and this position. I always looked up to great RBs who played this game at a high level, who are legends of the game, dreaming of my name being mentioned with them one day,” added the RB.
Well, get ready, Derrick. Because your name is about to be mentioned alongside some of those greats you once dreamed about. On his way to the top 10, Henry won’t just have to pass Dorsett. He will also have to topple Jim Brown, Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Marcus Allen, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, Fred Taylor, and Steven Jackson. That’s quite the list.
Derrick Henry was reminded that he will go into the Top 10 all-time if he notches 1,300 yards this season.
“When you say something like that, it’s a surreal moment to be able to have that opportunity to be in that conversation.
“God has bless me tremendously. Since I was 5… pic.twitter.com/kkyhk88dMl
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) May 19, 2025
But we all know what Henry is capable of, and this record should come with ease for him. He’s passed the 1,317 rushing mark in 3 of his last 5 seasons. And the move to the Baltimore Ravens was a match made in heaven. So, he should see plenty of opportunities in 2025.
The only thing we worry about with Henry is injuries. He’s proven to be quite the durable player during his time in the NFL, as his only big injury ever came in 2021 when he broke his foot. But Henry is now on the wrong side of 30. Which traditionally means his athletic ability and health will decline more rapidly.
Derrick Henry on being 1,317 rushing yards away from cracking the top 10 all time:
“I always looked up to great running backs who played this game at a high level, who are legends of the game, and dreaming of my name being mentioned with them one day.” pic.twitter.com/70KsajvBcC
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) May 19, 2025
However, we never have to worry about the size that Henry imposes on defenses. At 6-foot-3, 250 lbs, he looks like a steam engine when he gets going downhill. Nobody wants to get in front of him, especially when it gets cold in the winter.
So, we don’t want to jump to conclusions. But we’re pretty confident Henry will shatter this record sometime soon, if not this season. Especially with 17 games to work with, now it’s easier than ever for running backs to rack up 1000-yard rushing seasons.
