Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry Playfully Downplayed Practice Injury Scare

The Baltimore Ravens avoided suffering a potentially devestating blow to their Super 2026 Bowl hopes and dreams during an OTA practice.

Jul 27, 2024; Owings Mill , MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) after a drill during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The next most important player to the Baltimore Ravens' success on offense and perhaps as a team overall, given everything he brings to the table as a physical tone-setter, prolific producer, and leader, is five-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry.

When the 11th-year veteran and future First Ballot Hall of Famer went down to the turf and didn't immediately pop up to his feet during the first Organized Team Activity open to the media earlier this week, it was a scary sight to behold for all in attendance.

The collective existential dread everyone felt was quelled when Henry not only rose to his feet but also returned to practicing shortly thereafter. When speaking with reporters after practice, Henry put all minds at ease by laughingly downplaying the situation.

"I laid on the ground a little bit. The ground felt like a bed for a little while," Henry said. "And I saw you all looked hot and bored, so I was like, 'I've got to give them something to tweet and write.'"

After experiencing and surviving the first injury scare to a prominent player of his tenure as the Ravens head coach, Jesse Minter admitted that his heart felt like it went up in his throat when Henry went down and he was relieved beyond measure when he was back up and in rotation for 11-on-11 drills.

"You have to have such a 'teammate mentality' in these practices to operate at a level that you get the work that you need, that you're being really smart," Minter said. "It was just a deal there where I think they might have kind of bumped into each other. So, I am super happy and thankful that [Henry] was able to keep rolling."

Having coached against Henry as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 when he ran 24 times for 140 yards and as an assistant with the Ravens when he gashed them for games of 195 and 133 yards in the same calendar year, Minter knows full well the kind of damage he can do when healthy.

"Derrick has run every scheme throughout his career, but when you change and terminology is different and you do need to learn formations, terminology, motions, all the different tags and cadences.

"Just to see a guy like that with the experience and success that he's had sort of go about his process of getting better, he's an unbelievable example for everybody else on the team – offense, defense, whatever – of how you operate when you want to learn, and you want to be the best. So, it's just unbelievable the way he goes about his business. It's really cool to see. Thankful that he's on our side, and we're handing the ball to him."

Henry is excited about new additions to RB room

Jun 9, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner participates in minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Ravens overhauled several position groups this offseason, transitioning from the John Harbaugh era to Minter's. One of the most notable changes that directly impacts Henry the most was the loss of his position coach, Willie Taggart, who followed Harbaugh to the New York Giants to save in the same role, and the departure of electric young speedster, Keaton Mitchell, in free agency to the Chargers, a.k.a the Ravens West, after not being tendered.

Replacing Taggart as Henry's new position coach is renowned assistant Eddie Faulkner, who spent the last seven seasons churning out well-rounded and perennial Pro Bowl running backs for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 32-year-old will be the most decorated player that Faulkner will have ever worked with to date, and the expectation is to continue to have him perform at an elite level.

"I love Coach 'Faulk', man," Henry said. "He had been on the other side for a little while, but you see why the guys over there had success. Pittsburgh ran hard, good in pass protection and are just good overall backs. He's just a very detailed coach in everything he does.

"We have quotes all over the room that have put things in perspective for us. He always gives us a quote from a book he reads, which we all appreciate and listen to, and then just letting everything from the meeting translate into practice. We have drills for every single thing you can do as far as the position goes."

While the Ravens didn't use one of their 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to select another speedster like Mitchell, they still addressed the running back position by selecting a rookie with a similar big and bruising build to Henry. With their third and final pick in the fifth round, team owner Steve Bisciotti himself made the choice and phone call to select former Clemson standout Adam Randall.

At 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, the converted wide receiver has the potential to be a beast of a power back and dynamic all-around weapon. He is already soaking up all the knowledge he can from his veteran mentor, which has made a strong first impression.

"Since he got here, he's just been working, keeping his head down, wanting to learn, just wanting to get better," Henry said. "That's all you want as a rookie. I'm always going to be here to help him in any way I can, but I just like his approach every day coming to work."