When it comes to MVP discussions in football, it traditionally starts with the quarterback position.
No matter the level, the man under center receives the most attention, both good and bad. But this attention also places the position in the primary viewfinder of the MVP scope, with running backs being secondary.
In the NFL, the last seven league MVPs have been quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, Tom Brady of the Patriots, Matt Ryan of the Falcons, Cam Newton of the Panthers, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers and Peyton Manning of the Broncos. In 2012, a year prior to Manning winning it, Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson took home the award. As a matter of fact, among the last 25 NFL MVP winners, only six non-quarterbacks have won the award, and those were all running backs including the aforementioned Peterson, the Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006, the Seahawks’ Shaun Alexander in 2005, the Rams’ Marshall Faulk in 2000, the Broncos’ Terrell Davis in 1998 and the Lions’ Barry Sanders in 1997.
At the college level, prior to Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith winning it this year, the last four Heisman Trophy winners have been quarterbacks. Joe Burrow of LSU, Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma and Lamar Jackson of Louisville. Among the last 25 winners (pre-Devonta Smith), only seven were non-quarterbacks: Ohio State’s Eddie George in 1995, Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997, Texas’ Ricky Williams in 1998, Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne in 1999, USC’s Reggie Bush in 2005 (regardless of the fact that it was “vacated), Alabama’s Mark Ingram in 2009, and Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015.
Fast forward five years and Derrick Henry is still running people over and putting them on stiff-arm murder highlight reels while keeping the Titans in playoff contention during his tenure in Tennessee’s backfield.
Yet love for the QB has overshadowed Henry’s performance and value to his team, which is a shame because he deserves more recognition as a legitimate league MVP candidate. Last season the rushing champion ran for 1,540 and 16 TDs. This year he retained the crown, rushing for 2,027 yards and 17 TDs, including 250 yards and 2 TDs in the season finale against the Texans. He’s now the eighth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and the first player to win back-to-back rushing titles since LaDainian Tomlinson in the 2006-2007 seasons. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and 126.7 yards per game; the year Peterson won the MVP, he rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 TDs, with an average of 6.0 yards per carry and 131 yards per game.
No disrespect to his QB Ryan Tannehill or rising star receiver A.J. Brown but without King Henry, the Titans go nowhere, as evidenced by today’s playoff loss to the Ravens.
The MVP talk this season commenced with Russell Wilson and transitioned to Kyler Murray, but that conversation has now shifted to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, which is perfectly understandable based upon their performances and leading their teams to the top seed in their respective divisions. But to diminish Henry’s performance and value is straight-up wrong. And regardless of his first-round dud against the Ravens on Sunday, Henry deserves a little more love from the voters.
If MVP is the most valuable player based upon what he’s accomplished for his team and how they would fare without him, Henry deserves to have more of his 245 pounds included in that conversation. As of now, it seems that the overwhelming admiration for Mahomes and Rodgers is slanting Henry’s name away from the MVP list.
Again, we’re not saying that Henry should leapfrog Mahomes or Rodgers. But Henry deserves more consideration than he’s currently receiving for if you remove him, a man who accounts for roughly 30% of the team’s offense, from the Titans they become the Tennessee Lilliputians. To us, that sounds like a most valuable player.
So show King Henry some more love.
