Derrick Henry Becomes the Latest, and Possibly Last, to Reach a Historic Milestone

Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 6, 2024. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Midway through the second quarter of the Baltimore Ravens’ 41-38 overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Derrick Henry took a carry and followed his left tackle for a 5-yard gain. With that, Henry became the 32nd player in NFL history to reach the 10,000 rushing yards mark, out of the over 25,000 men that have played in the 105 years of the National Football League.

And there’s a very good chance that Henry will be the final player to reach that once-hallowed milestone of 10,000 rushing yards.

But first, Henry deserves his flowers for not just what he’s accomplished in the past, but also what he’s doing this season. A two-time rushing champ whose 2,027 yards in the 2020 season are the fifth-most in league history, Henry is a throwback type of runner that was common throughout most of the history of the NFL but has been a dying breed this millennium.

He’s led the league in rushing attempts four different times in his career and has been head and shoulders above all running backs since becoming a full-time starter in 2019. Since then, Henry has 1,834 more rushing yards than the player with the second-most in Josh Jacobs. For reference, the gap between No. 1 Henry and No. 2 Jacobs is nearly as large as the gap between Jacobs and the 17th-most productive rusher over that span in Tony Pollard.

While most rushing backs tend to fall off a cliff at 30 years old, Henry is on pace for his best year ever after turning 30 in January. Entering Week 6, he leads the NFL in rushing yards (572), rushing touchdowns (six), scrimmage yards (621), and total touchdowns (seven). His 6.0 yards per carry is a career-high, and with over 2,200 touches on his resume, he still showed he has plenty left in the tank by cranking out an 87-yard touchdown run in Week 4 versus the Buffalo Bills—the longest run in Ravens franchise history.

Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 6, 2024. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

So why could Henry be the last player to reach 10,000 career rushing yards? It’s no secret that the NFL has shifted away from the run and to more of an aerial game over recent decades, much to the dismay of young running backs who watched the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson growing up. The statistics bear this out as teams are attempting just 26.9 rushes per game in 2024, which is only the 10th time in league history that teams have averaged under 27 carries per game. As you would likely expect, the other nine seasons have all come within the last decade.

The high-water mark for rushes in the post-merger NFL came in 1977 (37.4 carries per game), but that average dipped below 30 attempts in 1989 and hasn’t looked back. Teams are throwing the ball more than ever before, and rules that limit what defensive backs can do to receivers play a part in that. Rule changes over the last few decades have benefitted quarterbacks and receivers, so playcallers smartly take advantage of those modifications, lessening the importance of running backs like Henry.

Then, there’s the increased specialization of running backs, or the running-back-by-committee, as it’s known in fantasy football circles. A team may have its first and second-down back, then it’s pass-catching back, then it’s short-yardage back, and maybe even a pass-protection back thrown in. So, not only are teams running the ball less than ever before, but they’re also spreading those reduced rushing attempts around to multiple players, making the likelihood of someone reaching 10,000 yards again so minute.

Before Henry, the last players to reach the milestone were Marshawn Lynch and LeSean McCoy—both in the 2017 season. This seven-year gap is the second-longest in NFL history, only trailing the 13-year gap between the league’s first two 10,000-yard rushers in Jim Brown, who reached it in 1964, and O.J. Simpson, who surpassed it in 1977. Looking at the current landscape of running backs and their rushing totals, if there is someone who will reach the magical milestone one day, it’s safe to say that player is not yet in the NFL.

Ezekiel Elliott ranks second amongst active players, just passing the 9,000 yards mark on Sunday. However, the 29-year-old has seen his rushing yards per game drop in, literally, every season of his nine-year career, and he’s averaging a career-low of 19.6 yards per game in 2024. At this rate, Elliott would need another 51 games to reach 10,000, but it’s hard to imagine a player who’s averaged under 3.9 yards per carry in each of the last three seasons getting the volume to reach it.

After Elliott, the list is Joe Mixon (6,596), Nick Chubb (6,511), Aaron Jones (6,261), and Dalvin Cook (6,207) among active players. The first three are all dealing with injuries—which is yet another hurdle to accomplishing the feat—as Mixon hasn’t played since Week 2, Chubb is on the PUP list and Jones just injured his hip in Week 5. Meanwhile, Cook hasn’t even been active yet this season as he’s only on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.

The general lack of durability among running backs is another feature that makes Henry so unique. He’s played in 124 of a possible 136 games (91.2 percent) in his career, with nine of those 12 games missed due to a foot fracture in 2021. He’s nicknamed King Henry and the title is fitting, as he’s the current Rushing King and towers over his contemporaries when it comes to efficiency, durability, and sustained excellence.

Much like 300 wins in Major League Baseball, 10,000 rushing yards in the NFL is something to behold and cherish, as we may never see it again after Derrick Henry.