It appears that Tennessee Titans’ Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry is heading to free agency next season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides haven’t been able to reach a long-term deal and are not expected to do so until July 15th deadline.
This means that Henry will play out 2020 on a $10.2 million franchise tag, which he signed back in April. Titans have the option to use the tag again in 2021 if they want to keep him but are unlikely to do so due to high cost.
After the 2019 season wrapped up, Titans publicly said that they want to keep Derrick Henry on the team, while the player himself was also optimistic about his future with the franchise. But that obviously wasn’t enough for them to get to an agreement.
The issue is reportedly in the fact that Henry wants a five-year deal with $14 million in annual salary, while the farthest Tennessee is willing to go would be four years and $12 million a year.
Henry is coming off a career season in which he had NFL leading 1,540 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns during the first 17 weeks. The 26-year-old player was also a big part of Titans’ run to AFC Championship appearance, contributing with 446 yards and two TDs.
