Oh boy.
The Tennessee Titans are among the contenders in the AFC … but according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, superstar running back Derrick Henry, in the middle of yet another awe-inspiring season, “suffered a potentially season-ending foot injury” on Sunday in the big win over the Indianapolis Colts. An MRI on Monday would tell whether that was the case or not. Awful, awful news.
So if you’ve got him in fantasy football or you have some other Titans on your roster, who should you pick up? And how does it affect everyone else? Let’s break it all down for you:
RB Jeremy McNichols
McNichols is listed at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds.
Derrick Henry is 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds.
You get it, right? McNichols is not a one-for-one replacement here … if he’s the replacement at all (we’ll get to that).
The former fifth-round pick of the Bucs in 2017 landed in Tennessee in 2020 and ran the ball 47 times for 204 yards and caught 12 passes for 55 yards.
This year? Twenty-one catches for 203 yards and seven carries, which makes sense since Henry runs it a ton.
A look at the Titans' running back depth chart behind Derrick Henry:
Jeremy McNichols: 56 career carries
Dontrell Hilliard (practice squad): 22 career carries
Mekhi Sargent (practice squad): 2 career carries— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 1, 2021
Until further notice, he’s the guy to pick up off waivers if available. However …
Could the Titans make a trade (Marlon Mack?) or sign a free agent?
Schefter tweeted this out not long after breaking the news about Henry:
With the news of Titans’ RB Derrick Henry being out indefinitely, RBs that might be available via trade due to depth chart or team’s standing:
🏈Tevin Coleman
🏈David Johnson/Philip Lindsay
🏈Ty’Son Williams
🏈Melvin Gordon (unlikely)
🏈Ronald Jones
🏈Mike Davis
🏈Rashaad Penny— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2021
There you have it. The Titans’ front office could end up striking a deal for more of a bellcow RB1 type, so you’ll have to see if Tennessee does that or sticks with McNichols.
QB Ryan Tannehill
I’m concerned here. We haven’t seen Tannehill without Henry in his Titans career, and the idea of the QB being leaned on without the presence of defenses trying to stop Henry or play action helping him could end up being a problem. I’d say he’s a spot starter or a QB2 going forward.
WRs Julio Jones and A.J. Brown
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jones has had one really good game … when he’s played. Brown, meanwhile, has resumed his WR1 status, gobbling up 35-of-54 targets for 509 yards.
A.J. Brown’s weekly target share in six full games this year:
22.2%
22.5%
27.2%
31%
33.3%
33.3%— John Daigle (@notJDaigle) November 1, 2021
Does any of that change with Henry out? I’m sort of doubting it. Brown will keep being the top guy, Jones may end up getting more volume when he’s back in the lineup, and maybe the pass/rush balance skews slightly more pass going forward.
