Derrick Henry showed in the Baltimore Ravens Week 1 blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts that he still has the ability to take over a game, even as he plays at an age when most running backs are either dramatically slowing down or are out of the NFL entirely.
His durability and longevity are just two of the things that make Henry one of the most impressive players at the position, and are helping him climb the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
But is there a chance that he could climb all the way to the top before he retires?
The NFL’s current all-time rushing champion, Emmitt Smith, believes he could.
The good news for Smith? His record is probably safe. At least as it relates to Henry.
Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing record is probably out of reach for Derrick Henry
Smith said that he believes “it’s possible” for Henry to eventually take over his record, citing his conditioning and the way he takes care of his body.
Henry’s work ethic and offseason training are well established, and it’s a major part of his ability to keep dominating well into his 30s.
The problem is that Smith’s mark is still so far ahead of where Henry currently is.
Smith retired with 18,355 yards, nearly 2,000 more than Walter Payton, who still occupies the No. 2 spot on the list.
He is 5,193 yards ahead of Henry, who is currently 10th on the all-time list.
Even with a 17-game schedule, and perhaps even the potential for an 18-game schedule in the near future, that is an enormous task for a 32-year-old running back.
No running back has ever rushed for more than 5,000 yards in the NFL after starting their age 32 season.
The only two who have topped even 4,000 yards after starting their age 32 season are Frank Gore (rushing for 4,927 yards after starting his age 32 season) and John Riggins (4,530 yards after starting his age 32 season). Matching Gore’s total would still leave him over 350 yards short. It would also require him to average at least 1,500 yards per season for the next three years, and still coming back for a fourth year beyond that. That is just asking for a lot, and it might not be reasonable.
Henry is still one of the NFL’s best, and he is going to finish his career extremely high on the all-time list. It just might not be near the top. That is a testament to how productive and durable Smith was during his own career to have that much distance between him and everybody else.
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