Report: Titans Franchise Tag Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry, the NFL's leading rusher, was franchise tagged on Monday according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The former Heisman Trophy winner will make about $10.2 million in 2020 under this deal. Teams have until noon EST to name their single franchise tag. 

Henry reportedly joins Bengals wide receiver AJ Green, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett and several others as deadline day franchise tags. 

The Pro Bowl running back rushed for a league-leading 1,540 yards on a league-leading 303 attempts. The 26-year-old also led the league with 16 touchdowns.

Henry will re-join quarterback Ryan Tannehill, a tandem that led Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game last season. Tannehill signed a four-year, $118 million extension with $62 guaranteed. 

The track record for running backs after they rack up 300 touches in a season is decidedly shaky. The last 25-year-old to run the ball over 300 times at age 25 was Le'Veon Bell. Bell, too, was franchise tagged after that season. The next season he played—in 2019 after a contract dispute—he ran for just 789 yards with 3.2 yards per carry. Before Bell, then Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray racked up 392 attempts in 2014 as a 26-year-old. He would rush for 702 yards the following season and has since retired. 

With those factors in mind—and given the precedent set with Bell and most recently with Chargers running back Melvin Gordon—there is a non-zero chance that Henry decides to hold out. The Titans and Henry have until July 15 to work out an extension—if none is reached, Henry will be under the franchise tag for 2020 and a free agent in 2021.