The Tennessee Titans welcomed Derrick Henry back to practice Tuesday.
After missing nine games with a foot injury last season, Tennessee’s star running back reported to minicamp. Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, quarterback Ryan Tannehill was excited to see his teammate.
“Obviously, we know Derrick’s been getting ready to go mentally and physically,” Tannehill said. “So any time he comes out here, it’s good to have him back and have him working with us.”
Henry was on pace to approach 2,000 rushing yards for the second straight season, collecting 937 rushing yards through Week 8. However, the 2020 Offensive Player of the Year didn’t see the field again until garnering 62 yards on 20 carries in Tennessee’s Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Per Davenport, Henry told reporters he and Tannehill discussed being in “a dark place” following their playoff elimination.
“Any time like that, a loss always hurts … It was tough, but it definitely fueled me in the offseason,” Henry said.
The Titans went 6-3 without their imposing running back, but Henry remains a pivotal part of their offense. They’ll likely again lean heavily on the big 28-year-old back in 2022 after trading top wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles.