The Ravens are staying the course with Derrick Henry. He’s 31, but they’ve given him a two-year contract extension that includes $25 million guaranteed. So much for the theory that running backs hit the wall at 30.
Henry, of course, doesn’t seem to be made out of the same material as other running backs. He ran for 1,921 yards last year while averaging a career-high 5.9 yards per carry – a half yard more than his previous best.
And he’s helped out by opponents having to also be concerned about Lamar Jackson (as both a runner and a thrower). There’s not stacking of the box against Henry.
Nonetheless, the big-picture numbers are pretty dire. Since the league moved to 32 teams, only six running backs who were at least 31 years old have finished with top-10 numbers (using PPR scoring). None of those guys ranked higher than 5th.
And only 11 others have even finished with top-20 numbers.
It’s a tough position.
OLD RUNNING BACKS WITH TOP-20 NUMBERS | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Age | G | Run | Rec | Tot | TD | PPR | Rk |
2004 | Curtis Martin, NYJ | 31 | 16 | 1697 | 245 | 1942 | 14 | 319.2 | 5 |
2006 | Tiki Barber, NYG | 31 | 16 | 1662 | 465 | 2127 | 5 | 300.7 | 6 |
2023 | Raheem Mostert, Mia. | 31 | 15 | 1012 | 175 | 1187 | 21 | 269.7 | 5 |
2009 | Ricky Williams, Mia. | 32 | 16 | 1121 | 264 | 1385 | 13 | 253.5 | 6 |
2009 | Thomas Jones, NYJ | 31 | 16 | 1402 | 58 | 1460 | 14 | 240.0 | 9 |
2015 | DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. | 32 | 16 | 907 | 367 | 1274 | 11 | 235.4 | 5 |
2013 | Fred Jackson, Buff. | 32 | 16 | 890 | 387 | 1277 | 10 | 234.7 | 11 |
2002 | Garrison Hearst, S.F. | 31 | 16 | 972 | 317 | 1289 | 9 | 232.9 | 20 |
2005 | Mike Anderson, Den. | 32 | 15 | 1014 | 212 | 1226 | 13 | 218.6 | 12 |
2004 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | 31 | 8 | 892 | 187 | 1079 | 15 | 216.9 | 18 |
2016 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 33 | 16 | 1025 | 277 | 1302 | 8 | 216.2 | 12 |
2010 | LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ | 31 | 15 | 914 | 368 | 1282 | 6 | 216.2 | 15 |
2015 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 32 | 16 | 967 | 267 | 1234 | 7 | 199.4 | 14 |
2018 | Adrian Peterson, Was. | 33 | 16 | 1042 | 208 | 1250 | 8 | 193.0 | 19 |
2005 | Corey Dillon, N.E. | 31 | 12 | 733 | 181 | 914 | 13 | 191.4 | 17 |
2014 | Fred Jackson, Buff. | 33 | 14 | 525 | 501 | 1026 | 3 | 188.6 | 16 |
2017 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 34 | 16 | 961 | 245 | 1206 | 4 | 173.6 | 20 |
2025 | Derrick Henry, Balt. | 31 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
—Ian Allan