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Let’s go back to 2003, shall we? Bobby Ramsey has just parked his 2003 Jeep Cherokee in the Yulee High School parking lot. Their his eyes gazed upon a bunch of high schoolers and middle schoolers. But the one that caught Ramsey’s eyes was a young Derrick Henry. “He was so much bigger than everybody else. I was not prepared for that,” Ramsey later revealed. Since that distant impression, Ramsey went to coach and mentor Henry in Yulee. From there, he first started terrorizing Florida middle schools, then high schools, colleges and now the NFL. Henry’s rise has been so phenomenal that he even scared the soul out of future Hall of Famers Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

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On their Dudes On Dudes podcast, Gronk and Edelman couldn’t believe Henry’s raw strength. “What’s incredible about Derrick Henry is that size. He’s 247, but I swear he plays and looks bigger than he even is,” Gronk said. Edelman, who was beside him, also agreed, saying, “100%.” Then Gronk went on to say what King Henry actually looks like to others whenever he runs with the ball. “He’s like 6’6″, 280 running the ball. That’s what it looks like,” Gronk mused.

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Well, Edelman didn’t object as he was also flabbergasted with Henry’s stature, which looked like a monster. “I remember when we played against him, I walked by him after the game. Like who the f**k is this defensive end? Oh my God. That’s Henry? Jesus. He’s so big. I wouldn’t want to tackle him,” Edelman added. Hilariously, the former Patriots receiver even mistook Henry for a defender. Generally, it’s players on the other side of the ball who are this big. But Henry’s case was different.

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No one wanted to tackle Henry. Everyone feared they would either get concussed or suffer a serious injury trying to stop an unstoppable force. Then Gronk and Edelman went on to find the perfect nickname that suited Henry’s playing style: “He is a semi-truck.” This semi-truck wasn’t built overnight. Henry is known for spending over $240,000 on his body every year. This includes having a personal chef, an infrared sauna, hyperbaric oxygen, cold therapy, massage therapy, and more.

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His dedication to his body at 31 has given him the results he wanted and the Ravens dreamt of. Henry ran through NFL defenses last year, giving stiff arm to defenders on his way to the end zone. Henry’s 16 rushing TDs helped him lead the league for the 3rd time in his career. He even added 3 more to his total in the postseason before the Ravens fell to the Bills. Now, as Henry enters his second season in Baltimore, the Ravens may have to make a decision. Whether to reward their monstrous running back or risk a contractual standoff.

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Mike Florio releases an ominous wind over Baltimore surrounding Derrick Henry’s future

When the Titans didn’t care about their star running back hitting free agency, the Ravens took Henry under their wing. They gave him a 2-year, $16M deal that looked like a bargain instantly. But boy, it was more than a bargain. It was like finding gold in a coal mine with no lights on. Henry went on to produce 1,921 rushing yards on 325 carries, adding 16 TDs on the ground. Won his 5th Pro Bowl while making the Ravens run game a terror for opposition defenses. So, considering the massive impact Henry had on the Ravens season. Mike Florio believes he ain’t going to play on this contract anymore.

“Henry, who has earned a $1M roster bonus, is due to make another $6M in salary in 2025. That’s it. That’s peanuts. The question becomes whether he’ll show up for offseason workouts without a new deal. The bigger question is whether he’ll get the new deal before the offseason workouts begin later this month,” Florio said in his report. Judging by Henry’s production, like Saquon Barkley, and contract, like some average running back. Obviously, Florio is right in questioning whether he will be happy to play on his measly deal.

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Ravens coach John Harbaugh had already said, “Love to see that get done,” referring to Henry’s extension. Yet again, when will they actually give him his much-deserved extension? The more they delay, the heavier the ominous winds will be on Henry’s future in Baltimore.

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Subhomoy Sen

1,234 Articles

Subhomoy Sen is a Senior NFL writer who plays a key role in our coverage of ES NFL Sundays. He is a ‘stat’ specialist and is often among the earliest to write about game-changing moments (statistics-led) during intense Sunday games. He received accolades for his statistical coverage of the Eagles-Cowboys fixtures late in 2024 where he wrote on how the theory of hidden yardage ‘Hurt’ the Cowboys. Subhomoy is excited at the sight of Rodgers versus Green Bay this season. We can’t wait too.

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Antra Koul

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