OWINGS MILLS —Running back Derrick Henry will likely be wearing street clothes when the Ravens play their first preseason game against the Eagles on Friday.
Coach John Harbaugh does not want to risk injuries to his key starters. Henry, quarterback Lamar Jackson, safety Kyle Hamilton, and a number of other starters will be watching. As a result, Henry and others are making the most of their time in practice.
“Well, we’re not going to get live carries,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not going to be tackling to the ground with Derrick [Henry] in practice, but we do understand, for a lot of guys like Derrick, the practices are the game reps. They have to be treated like game reps. Put yourself in that frame of mind when you practice, so when the game comes [in Week 1] against Kansas City and thereafter, you’ve been there before.
“Now, they’ve been there and played games before, so they know how to make that adjustment also. It’s not live, but it’s pretty physical, and he’s been practicing very well.”
On Tuesday, Henry took the ball and ran untouched into the end zone in one drill. At 6 feet 3, 247 pounds, Henry has been a force throughout training camp.
“What else can you say? He looked great, and I’m just very impressed with Derrick Henry in every way, and [I] can’t wait to see him out there in games,” Harbaugh said.
The one-two punch of Henry and two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson should provide matchup challenges for opposing defenses. Jackson and Henry are on the same page with their ultimate goal: winning a championship.
“Super Bowl. That’s the goal,” Henry said at training camp. “I mean, that’s always been the goal, but Super Bowl is definitely where I’m at now, so yes. I’ve had chances and got close, but that’s what it is right now.”
The Ravens led the NFL in rushing last season with 156.5 yards per game. The addition of Henry makes the rushing attack even more formidable.
Henry has run for at least 1,00 yards and 12 touchdowns in five of the last six seasons. He also led the NFL in rushing in 2019 (1,540), and in 2020, when he became the eighth running back in NFL history to register more than 2,000 rushing yards in a single season (2,027).
Henry turned 30 on January 4th but is still a dominant player and scoffed at the idea that he is slowing down.
“My approach to my job every day … I think that’s always going to be said when a running back gets up in age and that’s the stigma on the position,” he said. “But I just focus on me being healthy, doing my job when I’m here and then let my play speak for my age and everything else.”