Derrick Henry thanks Titans fans as he heads into free agency

The Tennessee Titans’ season doesn’t have playoffs this year, but they did play spoiler against the Jacksonville Jaguars by knocking them out of the playoffs with a 28-20 win at home on Sunday.

But it was a bittersweet ending for one player in particular on the Titans: star running back Derrick Henry. 

Henry has very likely played his final game for the Titans after eight seasons; he’s set for free agency now that the 2023 regular season is over for Tennessee.

Of course, the Titans can re-sign Henry to another contract if they choose, but his actions after the game pointed to the expected decision to find another home in the NFL.

Henry was given a microphone to address Titans fans in the stands, and he gave a salute to all of them.

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“Titans fans, I just want to say thank you for the greatest eight years of my life,” he said. “The ups and the downs, you all been there for everything. The adversity, watching me grow as a person and player, always supporting me. I love you all, the love seeing the [No.] 22’s in the stadium. Hopefully, I was an inspiration to all of your kids and everybody in the community. Thank you all so much.”

“God is good and Titan up, baby!”

If this is the final game for Henry in a Titans uniform, it was quite the send-off.

“King Henry” led the Titans’ offensive attack on Sunday with 153 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown in the kind of punishing game on the ground in which Henry has excelled for quite some time in the league.

Henry finished the season with 1,167 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns, which marks the fifth season in the last six in which he’s rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

Where Henry might end up next in the NFL is anyone’s guess, but perhaps the 30-year-old will be searching for a Super Bowl contender to join as the four-time Pro Bowler wishes to get a ring in what’s been a fantastic career to this point.