Jerry Jones: 'Derrick Henry didn't fit' with Dallas Cowboys due to salary cap, system issues

Baltimore Ravens (5-2) running back Derrick Henry is the NFL‘s leading rusher now seven weeks into the 2024 season.

Henry, who lives and trains in Dallas during the offseason, admitted he wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys (3-3). He instead signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Ravens in free agency this past offseason. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed during a Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan that Henry would not have fit under the team’s salary cap. Though the 30-year-old appears to be better than ever in Baltimore, Jones is not convinced he would be having the same success in Dallas.

“I don’t know if he’d be having a career year in our situation,” Jones said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “… We don’t run that type of offense at all. … Derrick Henry didn’t fit [because of] managing the [salary] cap.”

Since the day Henry inked on the dotted line with the Ravens, Jones has fielded questions about his decision not to sign the future Pro Football of Famer in free agency. That decision looks more and more questionable by the game, as Dallas has the worst rushing attack in football, averaging 77.2 yards per game.

Derrick Henry continues historic start to season as Cowboys struggle to run the ball

Henry eclipsed Dallas’ season per game average in one run (81 yards) during Monday’s 41-31 Week 7 road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3). The Ravens have the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL, with Henry running for a league-high 873 yards on 6.5 yards per carry and eight touchdowns.

Jones got a front row seat to watch Henry in another uniform back in Week 3, when Henry gashed the Cowboys’ defense to the tune of 151 yards and two scores in the 28-25 victory.

Henry, who ran for 2,027 yards in 2020 with the Tennessee Titans (1-5), is on pace to rush for 2,120 yards with still 10 games left in the season. Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards) holds the record for the most rushing yards in a single season.