With the Divisional Round about to start, there are still some key NFL IR injury updates to keep in mind. Will Derrick Henry make his long-awaited return against the Bengals? Is Leonard Fournette ready to come off injured reserve (IR) to once again become Playoff Lenny? Can Darrell Henderson Jr. provide the Rams with yet another weapon in the backfield? Let’s take a look at some of the most recent NFL injury updates on key running backs this week.
NFL Injury IR News and Updates: Is Derrick Henry playing this weekend?
Update 01/21/22: Derrick Henry has been activated from IR and will play against the Bengals.
After weeks of speculation, it looks like Henry will be making his return to the field. According to ESPN NFL Nation reporter Turron Davenport, the Titans will activate Henry from the IR ahead of Saturday’s AFC Divisional Round matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. More importantly, though, Davenport is reporting that Henry is expected to be the starter when the offense is on the field.
This is an important piece of the puzzle because it has been unclear as to whether or not Henry would be part of a committee or have the same role he did before his injury. Offensive coordinator Todd Downing said the team will monitor how Henry progresses during the game and make any decisions regarding workload then. Yet, Henry took part in all practices this week and didn’t have any setbacks.
“I felt great,” Henry said. “I just wanted to get some pads on. Haven’t them on in a while and got some contact going.”
Before his foot injury, Henry was once again leading the NFL with 219 carries for 937 yards and 10 TDs through eight games. Additionally, even after missing nine contests, he finished the regular season tied for sixth in the league in rushing touchdowns and ninth in rushing yards.
What does this mean against the Bengals?
Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the return of Henry is not ideal. The Bengals have struggled against the run over the last few weeks. Even though they finished top five in run defense, they’ve allowed 153 rushing yards per game over their last three contests. That puts them just ahead of the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although they looked better against the Raiders in their Wild Card game, they will need to take a huge step forward to stop Henry and this potent Titans rushing attack. Given the loss of defensive tackles Larry Ogunjobi and Mike Daniels, the Bengals might be ripe for the picking for Henry.
Leonard Fournette set to return to playoff form?
Update 01/22/22: The Buccaneers have activated RB Leonard Fournette from IR. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Fournette will play tomorrow against the Los Angeles Rams.
After suffering a hamstring injury back in Week 14, Fournette has spent significant time on IR. However, we got some positive injury update news this past week. Fournette was not only present at the team’s walkthroughs this week, but he also practiced. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich seemed to be optimistic about Fournette, but wouldn’t provide a definitive status.
“We’re still using this week to see if he’s healthy and how healthy he is,” Leftwich told reporters. “I’ll have a better idea of what he can do as we get more towards Friday. But right now, it’s just good to see him out there right now trying to work his way back into doing what he’s doing. But once he’s healthy, we expect Lenny to be Lenny.”
One good sign that Fournette will play this weekend came from the RB himself on social media. On January 18, Fournette tweeted that Buccaneers fans could expect to “see him Sunday.”
The Rams have a top-five rushing defense, as they allow an average of 100.8 rushing yards per game. If Fournette can return, he will definitely have a challenge ahead of him.
NFL Injury IR News and Updates: Will Darrell Henderson Jr. join a stacked RB room?
Technically, Henderson is eligible to return from IR this week after dealing with an MCL sprain. While head coach Sean McVay has said Henderson could have his 21-day activation window opened, there is no certainty that he would return this week.
An MCL sprain holds a 3-5 week recovery window, and this would just be week three for Henderson. While we have seen some impressive recoveries this year (just look at Henderson’s teammate Cam Akers), it is unclear if Henderson will be on the field this week.
“Yeah, that is a possibility,” said McVay. “Both [LB Ernest Jones] and Darrell Henderson are potential guys that could return, or that we could start their clocks — whether that means they’re actually available this week or not is to be determined, but both of those guys are kind of in the same boat,” McVay said. “Ernest might be a little bit further ahead of Darrell, so that is a good thing on both of those guys.”