Derrick Henry trade rumors: GM Ran Carthon says Titans have not received any calls about star RB

If the Tennessee Titans are planning to trade Derrick Henry, that’s news to Ran Carthon. The Titans general manager shut down the social media report that the team is looking to trade Henry, admitting the team hasn’t received any calls on the star running back. 

“We also were apparently trading Jeffery Simmons at one point and during that entire period we were negotiating his deal,” Carthon said when asked about Henry. “There’s things I want to say, but I won’t. It is what it is.

“We won’t do business in public. I always lean on taking care of the player and taking care of the family.”

There has been no indication of Henry leaving the Titans or getting traded to another organization, but the three-time Pro Bowler does have one year remaining on his contract with a base salary of $10.5 million. His cap number is $16,367,647 for 2023, the final year of a four-year deal with the Titans he signed in 2020. 

Henry has been the game’s best running back over the past five seasons, leading the NFL in rushing with 7,101 yards along with 68 touchdowns — 20 more than the next closest player (Nick Chubb). Averaging 4.9 yards per carry during that stretch, Henry has four 1,000-yard seasons and has led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns twice (2019, 2020). The 2020 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year, Henry rushed for 2,027 yards that year and was just the eighth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

While Henry’s yards per carry has dipped to 4.4 over the last two years, he’s tied for second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (23) and fourth in rushing yards (2,475). He had 349 carries for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. 

The Titans aren’t moving on from Henry. Plain and simple. 

“I try to protect the guys as much as I can,” Carthon said. “I think we’ve been transparent as things come up.”