Derrick Henry could be out for season in Titans crusher

The Tennessee Titans are in jeopardy of losing Derrick Henry for the rest of the season.

The NFL’s most devastating running back suffered a potentially season-ending foot injury during Sunday’s 34-31 win over the Colts, ESPN.com reported Monday. NFL Network reported the injury is believed to be a Jones fracture and theoretically Henry could return in eight weeks, which would be just before the playoffs if the Titans qualify.

Henry, 27, will undergo surgery, Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Monday, and the running back will try to return later this year. In the meantime, the Titans reached an agreement to sign 36-year-old rushing great Adrian Peterson.

“Whenever that is, that’s when it’ll be,” Vrabel told reporters. “I know that he’ll be around our team as soon as he can. I know that’s important to him. I know that’ll be important to our team. We will have to move on. We’ll have to move on, unfortunately, without him here in the short term and not look back.”

During Sunday’s win over Indianapolis, Henry played through the injury, and was often seen limping in and out of the game on offense. Henry totaled 28 carries for an uncharacteristic 68 yards against the Colts.

The 6-2 Titans are among the top teams in the AFC and had won four straight games, including a Monday night thriller against the Bills in Week 6 and a beatdown of the Chiefs in Week 7.

Henry is in the midst of an explosive season, and was on track to break a number of records. He has 937 rushing yards on 219 carries with 10 touchdowns in 2021. 

The 6-foot-3, 247-pounder handled 219-of-230 running back rushing attempts for the Titans this season. He has 353 more rushing yards than any other player in the league.

If Henry is out for the season, the Titans have Jeremy McNichols to rely on, as well as Dontrell Hilliard and Mekhi Sargent on the practice squad.