When star running back Derrick Henry hit free agency last offseason, there were two teams considered to be the favorites to land the two-time rushing champ: the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys. Henry lives and trains in Dallas — and even said on “The Pivot” podcast that signing with the Cowboys would’ve been a “perfect situation.” However, Dallas didn’t show any interest.
Henry instead signed a two-year deal with the Ravens and rushed for 1,921 yards and tied the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns, while helping quarterback Lamar Jackson put together a career year. The Ravens won the AFC North with a 12-5 record, and the 31-year-old Henry showed no signs of slowing down.
The Cowboys could have certainly used a running back like Henry in 2024, but Micah Parsons said during a recent interview with Mad Dog Sports Radio that he doesn’t believe the All-Pro back could have done enough to help the 7-10 Cowboys.
“I’m afraid Derrick Henry wouldn’t even have helped us,” Parsons said. “We were that — Derrick Henry should be blessed because he played with Lamar and he almost run for 2,000 yards. The hypotheticals sometimes can sound pretty good, but man, we struggled so much that I don’t even know if Derrick could’ve helped us. It would’ve been another Tennessee Titan year for him …”
Parsons may be right. Henry rushed for at least 1,167 yards in his final two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, who went a combined 13-21 in those two years. The Cowboys dealt with several notable injuries which torpedoed their 2024 campaign. Quarterback Dak Prescott played just eight games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury, while star wideout CeeDee Lamb suffered a shoulder injury in the same game where Prescott was injured, which affected him for the rest of the season.
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The Ravens had the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL this past season, averaging 187.6 rushing yards per game, while the Cowboys ranked sixth worst in the NFL with 100.3 rushing yards per game. Henry would have certainly helped Dallas’ rushing attack, but the Cowboys’ entire 2024 season felt like an uphill climb.
