Titans RB Henry puts focus back on football

Derrick Henry has a four-year deal, but the Tennessee Titans running back is not sure what's next during the coronavirus pandemic.

Henry said Thursday in a video conference he planned to report focused and ready to go had the $50 million deal with the Titans not been consummated before Wednesday's deadline for long-term deals.

"They saw my value," Henry said. "We couldn't get it done before the franchise tag deadline (in March). We kept talking, communicated and kept working on it. We just kept communicating.

"Hopefully both sides have a deal we can be happy with, and we can focus on football."

Henry, who was in Austin shooting a Nissan Heisman Trophy commercial Thursday, thanked the team and said he plans to continue to prove his worth after the unique factors related to the pandemic helped guide negotiations with the team on a new deal.

"It would have made the process a lot easier, not (as) kinda hectic," Henry said. "Nobody really knows what's going to happen."

Henry said he is confident the NFL and NFLPA will have the proper guidelines in place for players to remain safe if a season can be played in 2020.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson said last month Henry has evolved as a leader and would be with the team for a long time. Henry said he doesn't plan to change anything.

"I'm just going to be myself, keep doing what I'm doing -- working, proving, competing," he said. "Try to make this team better. Continue to be me.

"I just go with the flow. I feel like I need to speak, do more things, I'll do that."

--Field Level Media