Derrick Henry holds himself to an incredibly high standard.
The Ravens are hoping that makes their investment in him worthwhile over the next three years.
The two-year, $30 million extension Henry officially signed on Monday keeps him in Baltimore through 2027, his age-33 season. It also commits $15 million per year to a running back who will be well beyond the dreaded 30-year-old mark that typically spells the decline -- if not the outright end -- of a running back's career.
Henry, 31, is appreciative of the commitment. He also knows he's even more committed to maintaining a high level of performance that should help him hold off Father Time.
"I want to be great," Henry told reporters on Monday. "No matter how good it is or how bad it is, I'm always focused on me trying to get better each and every day and each and every way I can. I think, for you to be great, you have to focus on being consistent. You got to outwork everybody and that's the approach I have to take.
"I love football. I love playing. I know people look at the age, but I don't really try to focus on that. I just focus on: How can Derrick Henry be better? How can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they want to get to?"
In his first year, Henry nearly helped Baltimore fulfill its goals. Henry finished second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,921) in 2024, scored a league-best 16 rushing touchdowns, averaged a career-high 5.9 yards per carry and helped the Ravens finish with the third-most total offensive yards (7,224) in a season in NFL history.
It seems as though only a historic result would have satisfied Henry, who despite rushing for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023, admitted he was displeased with his production in his final season for the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore might have been the only place in the NFL that could make such a result possible, too.
"I'm grateful for this organization," Henry said. "Just like last year, coming off the season I had, you know, I wasn't really happy, and I wanted to prove myself and just get an opportunity and they gave me that opportunity. I'm very appreciative how much they value me, to give me an extension and I just want to show them how much it means to me and how much this organization means to me by the way I work and what I do in the field."
Henry likely knew he was walking into a unique situation when he signed with Baltimore, where Lamar Jackson threatens defenses equally with his arm and his legs. As Henry said Monday, "you got to account for (Jackson) every single play." This reality took some attention off Henry, clearing wide avenues through which Henry rumbled to massive gains in 2024.
Now, as he enters 2025 as a 31-year-old, he's not worried about murmurs of a possible decline ahead of him. Instead, he's focused on helping his team reach the goal it fell short of last season. He could also crack the all-time rushing top 10 if he produces at a rate similar to 2024, which would only make a run at a Super Bowl sweeter. He enters the season at 11,423 rushing yards, with Tony Dorsett, No. 10 all time, at 12,739 yards, or 1,316 away.
"Coming here, everything was new and all I wanted to do was gain my respect from my teammates and everybody in this organization by the way I work and carry myself," Henry said. "Over time as I got here, I fell in love with everything; with the brotherhood, the way they work, how they approach everything, and getting into the season was just like icing on the cake.
"I know we came up short, but it was a lot of fun. We have a lot of great players -- a lot of top players in this league, playmakers -- so it's always fun when you got guys around you that are at the top of their position and can change the game at any point."
