Derrick Henry reveals Dallas Cowboys never called during free agency

When Derrick Henry was released by the Tennessee Titans, rumors instantly began to swirl regarding the Dallas Cowboys. The stars were maybe aligning, especially since Dallas was thought to be moving on from their two main running backs from a season ago.

Alas, Henry wound up with the Baltimore Ravens. He signed a two-year deal worth $16 million and will attempt to win a Super Bowl in the league’s best run offense over the last few seasons.

But as it turns out, Dallas was never really in the running for Henry. Or even made an effort to sign the thought to be most coveted available running back.

On Thursday, Henry revealed the Cowboys never called despite him having interest. He lives in the area during the offseason and even trains there. However, no call came from the Dallas front office.

“The Cowboys never called at all,” Henry said. “… That’s where I stay in the offseason. I’m kind of on the back end of my career and that’s a great organization. It would’ve been a great opportunity, but I’m thankful that I ended up here in Baltimore.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy really struggled to “run the damn ball” last season after taking control of the offense. Former OC Kellen Moore was interested in “lighting up the scoreboard” but McCarthy wanted to rely on his running backs while giving the defense rest on the sideline.

Tony Pollard was on the franchise tag but fresh off an injury he suffered in the 2022 playoffs. He took a decent chunk of time to get going and even then, the numbers were not great. Pollard averaged a career-low 4.0 yards per carry and broke 100 yards in a game just once.

Rico Dowdle was a nice backup and provided a different style compared to Pollard when put in the backfield. Other teams are free to contact Dowdle though as he is a free agent at the moment. Pollard has since signed with the Tennessee Titans.

If there had been a phone call to Henry and a follow-through on his interest, he instantly would have become the franchise’s lead back. And then maybe drafting somebody in April to compliment him would have been a quick fix to the running back issue.

Sadly for Cowboys fans, there was not even any communication between the two.

“I think we’re having to make some tough decisions right now,” Stephen Jones said on Thursday. “This is an organization that’s been built on great backs. Whether it’s a Tony Dorsett, a Herschel Walker, an Emmitt Smith, a Zeke Elliott, a Tony Pollard. We’ve been big believers in backs. They bring a lot to the table.

“Unfortunately, we’re at a point where we’re having to make some decisions in terms of where we allocate dollars… We feel like there’s going to be some ways we can address the running back situation in a more efficient way. We’ll see how that works out.”

Dallas has been incredibly slow compared to others in free agency. After owner Jerry Jones claimed the franchise would be “all-in” for the 2024 season, they have not been quick to add talent to the roster. At one point, they were the only NFL team to not make an outside addition.

Part of the financial allocations Stephen Jones mentioned went to Eric Kendricks, somebody Dallas seems to have more faith in contributing than a free-agent running back like Henry. Linebacker is certainly a position of need but right now, Dallas does not have a back on the roster capable of receiving significant carries.

Could Henry have been the guy for the Cowboys?

After not picking up the phone to inquire, not even the Jones family will know the answer to that question.