NASHVILLE - Derrick Henry is a Baltimore Raven. I know that's not exactly new news, but with training camps around the NFL getting ready to open, it's a harsh reality worth reminding ourselves of.
Henry will be wearing No. 22 in purple this fall and will likely find himself playing in some big games with the Ravens. Baltimore was 13-4 last season and has now made the AFC Playoffs in five of the last six years. I have every reason to believe they'll be back in contention in 2024.
The Ravens currently have the third best betting odds to win the Super Bowl (+1000) and Henry could help them get there. But that brings up what I find to be an interesting and surprising debate that is taking the Titans fanbase by storm at the moment.
Are you rooting for Derrick Henry to have success with the Baltimore Ravens, even if that means wining the Super Bowl?
Titans-Ravens Rivalry
For most Titans fans, particularly those who are old enough to remember back to the team's inaugural season in Tennessee, the hatred of the Baltimore Ravens runs deep.
Tennessee ran into Baltimore in five of their first eight playoff appearances after moving the team. The Titans suffered divisional round losses to the Ravens in both 2000 and 2008 after finishing the regular season 13-3. That game in the 2000 playoffs is considered one of the most physical and heated playoff games ever played.
Keep in mind that this rivalry predates NFL conference realignment. Both the Titans and Ravens were members of the AFC Central at the time and played multiple times a year. It didn't help to then watch franchise legends like Steve McNair and Derrick Mason put on the Ravens uniform years later.
Baltimore vs. Tennessee still holds some weight to this day. The Titans put a beat down on the Ravens in the 2019 playoffs en route to the AFC Championship Game. One year later, Baltimore returned the favor in Nashville and celebrated on the Titans midfield logo.
There is no love lost...and it makes sense for every Titans fan to have some resentment for the Ravens organization. Under any other circumstance, I wouldn't expect the fans in Tennessee to root for Baltimore, but should Henry's time in Nashville change the way Titans fans look at the Ravens in 2024? Should you be rooting for Henry’s success in Baltimore even if it ends with a Super Bowl ring?
No Easy Answers
I don't want anybody trying to take the easy way out here. "I want Henry to run for 2,000 yards and the Ravens to finish 0-17" is not an acceptable answer because it's simply not realistic.
If Henry has a big year in 2024, Baltimore is going to win a lot of games. They'll likely do that regardless of Henry;'s output. What I really want to do here is pose a difficult question to Titans fans. Which one is stronger: Your love for Derrick Henry or your hatred of the Ravens?
If the Titans were out of the picture and you had to choose between Henry having individual success and winning a ring in Baltimore or failing to end his career, what would you pick?
To my surprise, most people I posed that question to said they would not root for Henry in a Ravens uniform. The fans in Tennessee do not want to see Henry succeed outside of Nashville. I'll forever believe that to be the wrong opinion on the matter.
The Ravens are no longer a divisional opponent. The Titans and Ravens both have bigger rivalries with other teams (Colts & Steelers). So much of the hostility held between these two fanbases is from games that were played over 20 years ago. It's time to move on, focus on rivalries against current AFC South teams, and root for the success of a man who changed football in Tennessee forever.
Henry's Titans Legacy
I really don't think it's possible to overstate the impact Derrick Henry has had on football in Middle Tennessee, the city of Nashville, and the Titans organization.
From 2009-2016, the Titans were one of the most irrelevant teams in football. They received zero national attention and had put together some of the worst years in Oilers/Titans franchise history. Other than the die hards fans, people were not itching to get to Titans games like they are today. But Derrick Henry changed all of that.
Henry was unique. A running back that's built like a defensive end with the arms of a bodybuilder. 240+ pounds with lightning speed. Someone who lives up to and exceeds all expectations after winning the Heisman Trophy. An iconic hairstyle, a badass "King Henry" nickname, and a genuinely good person off the field.
Everything about Derrick Henry's time with the Titans was special. He made it cool to be a Titan again, and he made it cool to be a Titans fan. Henry put butts in seats. Henry made Titans games a must-see Music City event. Henry not only helped the Titans get back to the playoffs, but put them on the national stage in a way that not even Eddie George or Steve McNair did.
The Titans went from a 2-14 season in 2014 under Ken Whistenhunt that had them on the edge of oblivion to building a new stadium worth over $2 billion. Amy Adams Strunk deserves a lot of credit for that turnaround. But so does Derrick Henry.
Henry is now on the cusp of reaching 10,000 career rushing yards and 100 career rushing touchdowns. With a few more strong seasons, Henry can really cement his case to be in Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame after retirement. A Super Bowl ring would also do the trick.
Every Tennessee fan knows that Henry belongs in the Hall of Fame, and if it takes Henry having success in Baltimore to get him there, why root against that?
Let me put it this way. It's Super Bowl LIX in February of 2025. Just a few seconds remain and he Ravens are trailing by four points with the ball on the goal line. It's 4th down and they're giving the ball to Derrick Henry for all the marbles. Do you want Henry to get the iconic touchdown and ring he deserves? Or are you hoping he fails just to make Baltimore feel pain? I think Titans fan should want Henry to win the game for Baltimore in that scenario.
It's not Henry's fault that the Titans never reached the top of the mountain while he was wearing the two-tone blue. He certainly did his part. But after everything he gave to this city and this fanbase, he deserves the support of Titans Nation regardless of what jersey he's wearing.
If things had ended on bad terms (i.e. A.J. Brown), then go ahead and root against former Titans star players. But Henry is not only on another level of Nashville superstar, he left in the best way possible...on top.
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