NFL 2,000-yard rushing seasons: Can Derrick Henry become first RB to reach historic milestone twice?
The fit between Derrick Henry and the Ravens seemed ideal from the start, but did anyone predict the marriage would work this well?
Henry’s numbers rival, and in some cases exceed, some of his best seasons in Tennessee, and he’s helped Lamar Jackson elevate his own game as the two-time MVP quarterback chases a third trophy.
Despite being 30, which some might see as 80 in running back years, Henry still has a chance to join one of the most exclusive clubs in football — again. 2,000 rushing yards is on the table for the former Offensive Player of the Year, and the path might be more realistic than you think.
Here’s what you need to know about Henry’s chances of a 2,000-yard season and which players have reached the milestone.
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Derrick Henry stats 2024
Games | Rush att. | Rush yards | Y/A | Rec. | Rec. Yards | Total TD |
9 | 168 | 1,052 | 6.3 | 9 | 93 | 13 |
Henry is the first running back to rush for 1,000 rushing yards this season, and he’s already scored 13 total touchdowns for the Ravens’ powerful offense.
This season marks Henry’s third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaign and the sixth of his career. His only season under 1,000 yards since 2018 was 2021, when he ran for 937 yards in only eight games before an injury derailed his year.
A remarkably durable running back even as he ages, Henry is on a Hall of Fame track regardless of whether or not he reaches 2,000 yards this season. He surpassed 10,000 career rushing yards earlier in the season and ranks 27th all-time in rushing yards with a strong chance to break into the top 20 by the end of the season.
Here’s a look at how realistic a 2,000-rushing yard season is with the Ravens still set to play eight more games.
Derrick Henry rushing yards pace 2024
Henry is on pace to run for 1,987 yards over 17 games, putting him just shy of 2,000. He was on pace for more than 2,000 yards before Week 9, but his 106 rushing yards against the Broncos weren’t enough to keep him ahead of the proverbial chains.
That outlines how difficult it would be to reach 2,000, even in a high-flying offense. Henry would need to average 118.5 rushing yards per game for the rest of the season, and the Ravens might not need to lean on him the same way the Titans did in 2020. Baltimore has one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, and Henry is certainly on the older end compared to other bell-cow backs.
With the way he’s broken off for some big plays, though, a run of 40, 50, or 60 yards here and there might be enough to boost the overall numbers and propel Henry into serious contention for 2,000 yards ahead of the final weeks of the season.
Fans might remember Henry only had an outside chance at 2,000 yards entering the final game of the 2020 season, but he trampled the Texans to get the number he needed.
Would the Ravens be as willing to let him run wild in Week 18? They may not have a choice.
At 6-3, the Ravens look like one of the AFC’s strongest teams but could be playing for seeding or even for the AFC North in the final game of the season. Baltimore still trails the Steelers in the division, and it’s not a guarantee that the Ravens will be locked into a particular seed come Week 18.
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NFL 2,000-yard rushing seasons
There have been eight 2,000-yard rushing seasons in NFL history:
Year | Player | Yards | Team |
1973 | O.J. Simpson | 2,003 | Bills |
1984 | Eric Dickerson | 2,105 | Rams |
1997 | Barry Sanders | 2,053 | Lions |
1998 | Terrell Davis | 2,008 | Broncos |
2003 | Jamal Lewis | 2,066 | Ravens |
2009 | Chris Johnson | 2,006 | Titans |
2012 | Adrian Peterson | 2,097 | Vikings |
2020 | Derrick Henry | 2,027 | Titans |
No player has ever run for 2,000 yards in multiple seasons. The closest call would be Barry Sanders, who ran for 1,883 yards three years before his 2,000-yard season, so Henry would be the first player to rush for 1,900 yards in two different seasons if he even came within 100 yards of 2,000.
The 17-game season is certainly helpful to any player gunning for 2,000 rushing yards — O.J. Simpson ran for 2,000 yards in just 14 games in 1973 — but with NFL teams de-emphasizing running backs in recent years, it’s been tough for players to even come close to the milestone.
Running games have seen an uptick in efficiency this season as defenses adjust to high-flying passing offenses, and Henry is just one of many running backs to take advantage with a remarkable 6.3 yards per carry through his first nine games as a Raven.