LOOK: Derrick Henry Back in Action
All eyes were on former Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry as he returned to the practice field today, taking on day one of Tennessee Titans minicamp. The behemoth back is coming off of the first significant injury of his career, suffering a Jones fracture in Week 8 of last year, but looks to be in great shape ahead of the 2022 season.
Despite missing eight games in 2021, Henry still finished the season with nearly 1,000 yards on the ground and was beginning to flex his muscles in the passing game as well, hauling in 18 catches for 118 yards. While he did make a return for Tennessee's divisional matchup with Cincinnati, it was clear he was not at full strength.
The two-time NFL rushing champion was a shell of himself, lacking his trademark strength and burst, and finished the game with just 62 yards and a score on 20 carries.
Speaking with reporters following the Titans' practice, Henry opened up on how he dealt with the loss, saying, "Anytime like that, a loss always hurts. To have everything in front of you and just fall short, that's tough," the veteran back continued, "That definitely fueled me in the offseason (...) All you can do is let it fuel you for the next one."
The Titans kick off the 2022 season with their first preseason matchup on August 11 against the Baltimore Ravens and will begin the regular season taking on the New York Giants in Week 1.
The road to reclaiming the AFC's number one seed will be extremely difficult for Tennessee, but with "El Tractorcito" in the backfield, their chances are infinitely higher.