Ravens RB Derrick Henry Talks Super Bowl, NFL Rushing Record & More with Rich

Rich opened with a promise to always shoot Derrick Henry straight, and then told the famously chiseled running back that it looked like he had let himself go.

Henry took it in stride. "Sorry to disappoint," he said, adding that he works out "here and there," though "apparently it's not enough to get me in the starting lineup."

The serious answer came next. Henry is entering year 11 and says he feels like it's year one.

Baltimore's biggest change is the new head coach, Jesse Minter, and after a brief mix-up over whether Rich meant the new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, Henry talked about what Minter has brought. "It's been fun," Henry said. Minter is trying to build the culture and foundation he wants the Ravens to represent, leaders are stepping up, and the team is getting better every day heading into week one at Indianapolis.

Rich asked how it's different from John Harbaugh, and then made clear he wasn't fishing for criticism. He just wanted to know what might change for Ravens fans. Henry kept it measured. Every coach has different philosophies and things he likes and doesn't like, and Minter is implementing what he sees works best.

He also wasn't going to make predictions. "I'm not going to sit here and be like, oh, we're going to do this, or say we're going to do that," Henry said. "We're just trying to work towards something special." Now that it's week one, the team has to put the work on display.

Rich did find one difference nobody could argue with. He never saw Harbaugh drop Eminem at a team function. Henry lit up. "Jesse went up there and, like, he was on 8 Mile and just killing the Eminem song."

As for Doyle's offense, Henry was not giving away the playbook. "It's a different scheme. I ain't going to give too much." Everybody has been loving it, the new additions have done a great job, and after a month and a half of training camp, the team is ready to play when it counts.

Rich then asked about age. Henry turns 33 at the end of the year, and Rich wondered whether he feels like he is laying down a marker for every running back who hits 30.

"I don't really think about the age thing, really," Henry said. His goal is to be better than he was the year before, the game before, "no matter what age." The stigma comes with the territory.

Rich had done some math, as a professional, so his guest wouldn't have to. If Henry runs for 843 yards this season, he moves to sixth on the all-time rushing list, passing Eric Dickerson, Jerome Bettis, LaDainian Tomlinson and Curtis Martin, all Hall of Famers. If he matches last year's total, he would be just 305 yards behind Adrian Peterson for fifth.

So is chasing down Emmitt Smith possible?

"I'm not really, like, thinking, oh, let's go get to Emmitt," Henry said. "If it happens, it happens, but it is not like something that I'm shooting for." What does move him is the company. "For me to even be in a conversation at the age you just mentioned is crazy to me. That's just so cool to be in the same conversation with those names."

He also doesn't sound like someone planning an exit. "I don't see myself stopping anytime," he said. "If it happens, that'll be remarkable. But if it don't, then hey, I'm still happy."

Rich pushed the math one step further. If Henry matches last year's yardage and then averages his career numbers, he would be three seasons away from passing Smith. Could he envision that?

"I hold myself to a high standard," Henry said. "I never say no, it's not possible."

The last question was the one that matters most to him. What would it mean to bring a Super Bowl trophy to Baltimore with Lamar Jackson and a first-year head coach?

"It'd mean everything," Henry said. "I might cry the rest of the year if it happens. I might just tear up every time I think about it."

And he believes the locker room feels it's possible. "I feel like we got the guys to go and do it." He walked through the recent history: close in 2023, a divisional round loss in 2024, and a missed postseason last year despite big expectations. "We've only got so long," he said. "We all know we can do it. Get out there and get it done."

Rich couldn't resist one last Eminem reference, asking whether Henry might lose himself if it happens. Henry laughed it off. "I won't lose myself."

He signed off with appreciation for the host. "Rich, you always show me love, man. I got a lot of love for you, bro."