OWINGS MILLS —Ravens running back Derrick Henry is looking to have a historic day against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5.
Henry (9,982 rushing yards) is 18 rushing yards shy of becoming the 32nd player in NFL history with at least 10,000 in a career. By reaching the mark this season, Henry would become the 21st player ever to do so within the first nine seasons of a career.
Henry currently ranks 32nd among the NFL all-time rushing leaders with 9,982 yards. Emmitt Smith ranks No. 1 with (18,355), followed by Walter Payton (16,726), Frank Gore (16,000), Barry Sanders (15,269), and Adrian Peterson (14,918)
“It’s very cool. As a kid, I always wanted to play running back and make it to the NFL,” Henry said. “For me to play this long and be able to reach that milestone that so many great ones before me reached that I idolized – it’s like a kid at a candy store where you can’t believe what’s in front of you achieving that milestone.
“I’m grateful – grateful for every coach [and] every teammate that helped me get to this part. I’m just very thankful for it all.”
Henry is the active leader in rushing yards, ahead of the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott (8,985), the Texans’ Joe Mixon (6,596) and the Browns’ Nick Chubb (6,511).
Henry needs one more touchdown —either rushing or receiving — to become the 26th player and 14th running back to reach 100 in a career. In reaching the mark in 2024, he’d become the 10th player and eighth running back to do so within the first nine seasons of a career.
“[I’m] always grateful for the journey and everyone that’s been a part of it,” Henry said. “I’ve been blessed tremendously, and I’m very thankful to be able to be able to play this long and be able to reach a milestone that big. All the great ones before me that I idolized – they achieved that accomplishment, so for me to be doing something that the ones that I’ve idolized have done is so cool.”
Among the 42 players in NFL history with at least 2,000 rushing attempts, Henry’s 4.7 yards per carry ties Tiki Barber and O.J. Simpson for third all-time, trailing only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (5.2) and Barry Sanders (5.0).
