'Happy to be back playing football': Titans RB Derrick Henry expected to play Saturday vs. Bengals
Derrick Henry was asked if he expects to play Saturday versus the Cincinnati Bengals. The Tennessee Titans running back’s response was ambiguous, but his grin said it all.
“We’ll see how this week goes and we’ll see where I’m at on Saturday,” Henry said.
The Titans are optimistic Henry will play this weekend. He has passed physical tests in practice this week, which continues to give the team confidence that he’ll be ready.
Henry hasn’t played since fracturing his foot in Week 8. The Titans placed him on injured reserve on Nov. 1. Despite missing over half of the season, Henry rushed for 937 yards, which is the ninth-best total in the NFL. At the time of Henry’s injury, he was the league’s leading rusher by a wide margin.
It was the first time Henry missed significant time due to injury in his NFL career. Titans fans wrote Henry get-well letters and his girlfriend drove him to the team facility while he was on the mend.
The Titans designated Henry for return to practice from injured reserve on Jan 5. The designation opened a 21-day window for the running back to be added to the 53-man active roster. Tennessee’s ability to clinch a first-round bye provided him more time to get reacclimated.
Henry hasn’t played in a game since Halloween. The workhorse running back opened up this week about missing football, but his time away helped him appreciate the game even more.
“I love football it’s all I’ve known since I was five years old. It’s what I fell in love with. It’s the first time something like this has happened,” Henry said. “It’s adversity, you just have to overcome it.”
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Henry declared that his foot feels good and his body is fresh after the hiatus from the physicality of football.
“I have a big steel plate in my foot, that’s the only difference between the left and the right, but I feel good,” Henry said. “I haven’t done anything in like two and a half months. Just getting back out there and getting acclimated to everything and getting back to being me.”
Henry’s probable return is undoubtedly a major boon for the Titans. Even though the Titans went 6-3 without Henry this season, Tennessee’s Super Bowl hopes hinge on the health, durability and availability of the running back. He’s the engine to the Titans offense, he makes everything go for the No.1 seed in the AFC.
The good thing for the Titans is, they got their 6-foot-3, 247-pound engine ready to be activated.
“Glad I was able to get through it and have my support system. I’m happy to be back,” Henry said. “I’m happy to be back playing football.”
Follow Paste BN Sports+ NFL Insider Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.