Titans’ Derrick Henry is now in the same class as NFL great Walter Payton. Is it time to talk MVP status?

Though it’s still early days in his career, it would appear that the Titans star is intent on going down in history as one of the greatest ever to play the game in his position.

Titans’ Derrick Henry is on his way to greatness

Heading into to his team’s “Thursday Night Football” game against the Green Bay Packers, Titans running back Derrick Henry was already widely viewed as a top tier player and without doubt the NFL’s best running back right here and now. Apparently, Henry didn’t get the memo and with that decided to put on a show for the ages in what turned out to be a 27-17 victory over Aaron Rodgers and Co. MVP? Hall of Fame? Looks like it.

Of course, there are likely many who will question whether it’s too early to be heaping such praise on the Titans star. On the other hand, let’s consider his rushing on the night - he posted 87 yards and a touchdown. Then there was his versatility, which he displayed with two catches for a 45-yard gain, including a 42-yard grab on a scoring drive. Last but not least, there was his ‘I’m on a different level’ moment, when he actually threw a three-yard touchdown pass - his second completion of the night - to tight end Austin Hooper that became the game-winning score.

Derrick Henry is keeping company with Walter Payton

Let’s be clear, Henry still has a way to go in his career, so once more we appreciate some may think we’re getting carried away. With that in mind we invite you to take a look at the pages of history. With his performance, the Titans star became the first the first player with at least 20 carries, two completions, a rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass in the same game since Walter Payton himself did so back in 1983. Interestingly, Payton achieved the feat in a 34-31 loss to the Saints in Week 3 of the ‘83 season. On that night, the Bears legend who would become a Hall of Famer, ran for 161 yards on 28 carries, caught two passes for 27 yards and completed both of his two passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Take a moment to process what we just explained.

As was the case with Payton, Henry is the unanimous vote for best running back of his generation. Indeed, the two-time rushing champion, would likely have won three rushing titles in a row last season, were it not for an unfortunate injury which sidelined him for the last nine games of the regular season. Having now passed Saquon Barkley as the league’s leading rusher this season, Henry broke the 1,000-yard rushing barrier for the fourth time in his career on Thursday night against the Packers. To give you more clarity, Henry’s 7,807 career rushing yards is 158 yards off of former 2,000-yard rusher Chris Johnson for third all-time on the Titans’ career rushing list.

Is Derrick Henry an MVP candidate?

As you can probably imagine, Henry’s performance on Thursday night sent shockwaves around the league and more importantly, put him squarely alongside names like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the conversation about who should be MVP. Curiously, it appears the man himself is in no way concerned about individual honor, but rather just how far the team can go. With his performance, the former Heisman Trophy winner was instrumental in helping Tennessee to a 7-3 record, which makes it seven wins in their last eight games. That’s to say, this is a team that’s going places.

“We’re resilient,” Henry said post game when asked what has led to the Titans’ success. “We love the grind. We love to come to work. We love having team camaraderie, being a family. It’s getting better every day. Stuff’s going to get better, no matter what. It’s focusing on the little things. ...It’s a grind, and we’re all for it.”