Derrick Henry challenges 5-year-olds to attempt tackling him

There aren’t too many defenders in the NFL you can confidently say would win a one-on-one going up against Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.

In fact, there may be none.

Given that fact, is it fair to question how many 5-year-olds it would take to bring down the 6-foot-3-inch, 247-pounder? While it’s likely you’ve never thought of that before, that’s exactly the question that was posed to Henry and his teammates during training camp Friday. As you would expect, there were some varying answers.

⚠️ We do not recommend testing this theory ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/S4Jf2RgoQy

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 29, 2023

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill went with 75. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting said 1,000. Receiver Treylon Burks, meanwhile, went a little low, saying it would take 30 5-year-olds to tackle Henry.

Henry admitted he didn’t know, but is willing to conduct a test run.

“I don’t know,” Henry said. “How bout y’all get y’all kids and we’ll — find some 5-year-olds and see how it goes.”

See how it goes? I think anybody who’s watched Henry throughout his career could figure out how it would go. The best the NFL has to offer are still trying to figure out how to bring Henry to the ground, even as he approaches his 30s. The 29-year-old is coming off his third Pro Bowl season, in which he rushed for 1,538 yards on 4.4 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns.

Derrick Henry reacts to NFL running back pay situation, speaks on state of position

Henry, along with having some fun talking 5-year-olds chances of tackling him, addressed a far more serious topic while speaking with the media. Days after Saquon Barkley secured a deal with the New York Giants to bring an end to an offseason-long stalemate, Henry said it’s “tough right now” for running backs looking to get paid.

“It’s tough right now,” Henry said, via ESPN. “We’re just trying to show that we are as valuable as any other position. They use us in commercials and all over the place. We just want our share.”

Barkley, who declined to sign his $10.091 franchise tag, agreed to an adjusted one-year contract worth up to $11 million which includes a $2 million signing bonus. Both Barkley and Henry were among the running backs across the league who held a Zoom meeting this past weekend to air their grievances.

“We want the same thing,” Henry said. “It seems like even if we are productive, when it comes to negotiating, it’s kind of like used against us at that point.”