Even the most entrenched NFL stars can feel unsettled when change arrives.
Derrick Henry is one of a collection of established Ravens who are adjusting to a new reality under first-time head coach Jesse Minter, the former defensive coordinator who came from the Harbaugh family coaching tree and returned to Baltimore to replace John Harbaugh in January.
Familiarity suggests Henry and the rest of the Ravens should hit the ground running. It's never quite that simple, though. There's new playbooks, new terminology, plus plenty of install sessions and mental repetitions to complete. That's all before the pads are put on in late July.
"I mean, change can be good," Henry recently said, via . "We're all excited for everything. Everything is new, so we're all just trying to learn, but also enjoying it, taking it day by day, not trying to get too overwhelmed, but just being present in the moment."
If Henry needed a sign that his job in Baltimore is secure, he need not look further than the Ravens' depth chart. Once promising runner Keaton Mitchell left for the Chargers in March. Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali return as Henry's rotational/situational backups. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta declined to invest in the position until the third and final day of the draft, adding Clemson's Adam Randall with the No. 174 pick.
It's clear this is still Henry's position group.
That admission in itself is unusual for a 32-year-old at a position that usually discards ball-carriers around the age of 30. It becomes even more unique when considering Henry's workload.
Henry arrived at the NFL after shouldering a massive one-season workload at Alabama and joined the Titans with one key evaluator note: .
At 2,662 career carries, Henry's certainly received his touches. He ranks 21st all time, and another typical 300-plus carry season would see him flirt with breaking into the top 10. Judging by the circumstances surrounding Henry and the Ravens -- including a new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, who comes from the NFL's third-ranked rushing attack (Chicago, 144.5 yards per game) in 2025 -- he's on track to do that and more.
"Derrick has run every scheme throughout his career, but when you change and terminology is different, you do need to learn formations, terminology, motions, all the different tags and cadence," Minter said. "Just to see a guy like that with the experience and success that he's had sort of go about his process of getting better, he's an unbelievable example for everybody else on the team -- offense, defense, whatever -- of how you operate when you want to learn, and you want to be the best. It's just unbelievable the way he goes about his business. It's really cool to see. Thankful that he's on our side, and we're handing the ball to him."
It will be interesting to see just how often Minter and Doyle lean on Henry in 2026. Despite him posting a 307-carry, 1,595-yard, 16-touchdown season in 2025, Baltimore infamously went away from Henry in crucial stretches of key games, a shift that could be explained by Henry's early season struggles with ball security. Those analyzing Harbaugh's departure quickly pointed toward his apparent unwillingness to lean on Henry -- and his strident commitment to the backfield rotation -- in these important moments as a red mark on his otherwise illustrious Ravens résumé.
For a 32-year-old back who is already outperforming age-related projections, a decrease in workload might make sense. But not for Henry, a physical specimen who has long defied the standards applied to the running back position.
Entering Year 11, Henry is maintaining the status quo even amid change.
"It's the same approach," Henry said. "I love putting the work in, conditioning, being in the weight room, being around the guys. Around this time, this is where you get to tune up everything, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes. Then, when training camp comes around, you're rolling. But the offseason is just putting the work in as much as you can so the results will show when it is time."
It's worked out pretty well for him in his first decade.
