Almost three months after fracturing his foot, Derrick Henry is finally back. With Saturday's divisional round playoff game against the Bengals looming, the Titans' star running back will be activated from injured reserve, according to ESPN's Turron Davenport. And not only that, but the Pro Bowler is expected to start and could get a full workload against Cincinnati.
Designated to return from IR on Jan. 5, Henry had less than a week to be activated to the team's 53-man roster, or else he would've been ineligible to return this season. The former Offensive Player of the Year practiced all week in the lead-up to the Bengals game, and while coach Mike Vrabel preached patience regarding the running back's return to full contact, Henry himself told reporters in recent days that he's ready to go.
"I felt great," Henry said of his return to practice, per ESPN. "I just wanted to get some pads on."
Offensive coordinator Todd Downing said this week that the Titans will monitor Henry's progress during the game to determine the extent of his role as Tennessee looks to advance to the AFC Championship. Reserve backs D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard, who each had 100-yard games filling in for Henry this season, are both expected to remain in the mix against the Bengals.
Before landing on IR with his foot injury, the 28-year-old Henry led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, finishing the 2021 regular season with 937 yards and 10 scores in just eight games. The year prior, Henry became just the eighth player in league history to eclipse 2,000 yards on the ground.
