LeBron James has called several NFL teams his favorite through the years, but he apparently has a new favorite player, who he got to see on Thursday Night Football yesterday.
During his alternate TNF broadcast The Shop, LeBron declared that Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry is his favorite player. He compared the two-time rushing champion to Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and praised him for the unique way he runs the ball.
“My favorite player in the NFL, man,” LeBron said, via Sports Illustrated. “What makes him my favorite player? I mean, for years, they always used to say that running backs that size or that tall couldn’t survive, and obviously Eric Dickerson kind of changed that too. But then came King Henry changed that in a whole other fashion. Not only is he as tall as Eric Dickerson, but he’s also built like a linebacker. He can run between the tackles, outside of tackles, and when he gets on the edge, it’s either gonna be a stiff arm or he gonna run around you.”
Henry is quickly making a near-unbeatable case for the best running back of the past decade. He’s already a two-time NFL rushing champion and joined the distinguished 2,000-yard rushing season club back in 2020.
When healthy, Derrick Henry is the best power running back the NFL has had since Adrian Peterson. He’s only 28 years old and already has nearly 8,000 rushing yards. There’s a good chance he’ll pass 10,000 rushing yards before he turns 30.
It’s no surprise then that Henry is a favorite player for many fans who aren’t all-in on a particular team.
Is Derrick Henry your favorite player in the NFL too?