Derrick Henry looked every bit like the past dominating running back from his Tennessee Titans days at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, rumbling to 151 rushing yards as his new team, the Baltimore Ravens, held off the Dallas Cowboys 28-25.
But he’s the same Henry many Cowboys fans hoped Jerry Jones would pursue during free agency, especially with past Dallas RB1 Tony Pollard now replacing Henry in Nashville, Tenn.
Jones got confronted by reporters about watching Henry go off on the Dallas run defense.
Jerry Jones Reveals if Cowboys Were Ever Interested in Derrick Henry
Jones is one of the few NFL owners and general managers who makes himself available for the press after every contest.
Jones first got grilled with questions about the personnel groupings the Cowboys have rolled with. He responded by saying he likes “[the] personnel” and didn’t see it as an issue.
However, next came the burning question: Why didn’t the Cowboys land the former 2,000-yard rusher and past NFL rushing leader Henry?
The longtime owner and general manager made this strong admission.
“We couldn’t afford Derrick Henry,” Jones said, as reported by Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about upgrading the roster, he said he doesn’t think that’s an issue. “I like our personnel.”
Jones when asked specifically about not going after Derrick Henry in the offseason: “We couldn’t afford Derrick Henry.” pic.twitter.com/lkQPFjJX9a
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 22, 2024
What Contract Did Henry Sign With the Ravens?
Henry became one of the top free agent signings of the 2024 offseason. By joining Baltimore, he was landing with the team that nearly topped the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game and was viewed as the missing piece.
Adding Henry, Baltimore signed the 30-year-old to a two-year, $16 million deal. That meant the Ravens were paying him $8 million annually for the next two seasons plus handing him $9 million guaranteed.
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But while Jones believed Dallas couldn’t afford that amount, passing on Henry was still considered stunning for the Cowboys.
One reason wasn’t beyond Henry’s body of work — Henry happens to train near the Cowboys’ facility, as he works out in Dallas and has a residence there.
“If Baltimore wasn’t interested, then I was thinking maybe Dallas because I live there,” Henry said last week to reporters. “It’d be a convenient spot. But Baltimore was interested, and I’m thankful.”
But Henry dove deeper when looking back at his free agency process back in April during an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast.”
“They ain’t holla at me at all,” Henry said of Dallas. “I thought it’d been some type of reach out, some type of talks or whatever. They never reached out, you know what I’m saying?”
“I don’t really know too much about their organization. All I know is what I hear. I was talking to my agent. They weren’t really interested. It is what it is. Like I said earlier, I’m gonna be where I’m gonna be, and I feel like Baltimore was the perfect spot.”
How Cowboys’ Ground Game Fared Opposite of Henry
With Henry plowing through arm tackles and defenders like his younger self, how did the Cowboys’ ground attack fare? Well, Dallas looked non-threatening when it turned to designed running plays.
Rico Dowdle may have led the way by averaging four yards a carry, but he was limited to only eight carries and 32 yards. Ezekiel Elliott was the veteran addition instead of Henry during the ’24 offseason. The former Pro Bowler, though, was bottled to just three carries for six yards.
Deuce Vaughn, meanwhile, wasn’t much of a factor or option either. Head coach Mike McCarthy opted to hand him the ball twice, but he only racked up five yards.
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And the longest scamper of the day on the Cowboys’ side was shared by Dowdle and quarterback Dak Prescott — only six yards. On the other side, Henry broke off a 29-yarder for his longest gallop of the day.
Henry ran through the team he lives near during the offseason. Jones, meanwhile, didn’t believe the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL rushing champ could be affordable. In the end, the unaffordable Henry became the invaluable presence for the team that believed he’s got something left in his tank.