Titans’ Derrick Henry Makes NFL History, Becomes 8th Player to Rush for 2,000 Yards

Derrick Henry made NFL history in the Tennessee Titans‘ final regular-season game of 2020. During the team’s 41-38 win over the Houston Texans, Henry reached the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the year. He became the eighth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.

Henry tallied 2,027 rushing yards to go along with his 378 rushing attempts and 17 touchdowns. The last player to rush for 2,000 yards was Adrian Peterson who recorded 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2012. Henry is the second Titan to reach the mark as Chris Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009. The other five players to hit 2,000 yards are O.J. Simpson (2,003), Eric Dickerson (2,105), Jamal Lewis (2,066), Barry Sanders (2,053) and Terrell Davis (2,008).

“I’m just thankful for my teammates,” Henry said after the game via the team’s official website. “Thankful for all of them, you know, week in and week out, you know, them doing their job. Just the unselfishness that they have for my success, I’m very thankful. Thank God for my teammates. I pray for those guys every day, all the guys I go to work with. Just a great job this year, and glad we were able to keep on playing. I just had to go out there and do my job.”

Henry was only 78 yards away from reaching the all-time single-season record, which is held by Dickerson, who set the mark in 1984. With teams throwing a lot more than they did 35 years ago, it’s likely no running back will break the record, but Henry would be the man to do it since he’s emerged as the top running back in the league.

“I’m glad we were able to finish with a W at the end,” Henry said as ESPN reported. “We won as a team and we all do it together. I’m just glad that we were able to accomplish this and win the division and get to the playoffs.”

In Sunday’s game against the Texans, Henry rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He just finished his fifth year in the NFL and has rushed for 5,860 yards and 55 touchdowns. He has led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2019 and 2020.