Derrick Henry Says He Preferred Ravens Over Cowboys

Derrick Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency last month, but before he joined the Ravens, there were some who felt the running back could link up with the Dallas Cowboys.

There was chatter that the Cowboys were pursuing Henry back when he was with the Tennessee Titans at last season’s trade deadline, and there seemed to be mutual interest between Dallas and Henry heading into the offseason.

However, the Cowboys never even contacted Henry in free agency, and he ultimately inked a two-year contract with Baltimore.

But Henry is making it clear that he preferred the Ravens all along.

“For the record, Baltimore was always my No. 1 option,” Henry said on The Jim Rome Show. “That’s always where I wanted to go. And like I said, I know the trade talks, it was almost going to happen, but I didn’t know once free agency started if they still felt the same until I talked to my agent to see what was really going on. And I know, like you said, the Cowboys lost (Tony) Pollard, so I didn’t know if they’re going to be looking for a running back. I live here in the offseason, I’ve been training here, living here for a while, so I just thought it made sense, and you know, I thought there’d be talks. But they never really reached out. And you know, like I said, everything happens for a reason, I just pray to God to put me in the place where I’m meant to be, and Baltimore is that spot. And I’m happy and I’m excited for the opportunity. But the Cowboys never reached out, and it’s all good. At the end of the day, no hard feelings.”

This isn’t the first time Henry has discussed Dallas this offseason, as he has made it known multiple times that the Cowboys never even reached out to him.

Dallas is currently left with Deuce Vaughn and Rico Dowdle as its running back, which is certainly not an enviable position. But, given the Cowboys’ tight financial situation, it’s not surprising that they didn’t make a play for Henry, who will be getting $16 million over two seasons from the Ravens.

Henry is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry en route to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance.

The 30-year-old may not be the same elite rusher he was years back, like in 2019 and 2020 when he led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in consecutive campaigns. But, he is still a productive halfback and should definitely help Baltimore’s offense, which was in clear need off more weapons.

We’ll see what Derrick Henry can do alongside of Lamar Jackson next season.