Before becoming a successful NFL head coach, Mike Vrabel was a standout linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Vrabel’s playing career also included an All-Pro nod in 2007 while helping the Patriots record a perfect regular season record.
But if he had to face Titans star running back Derrick Henry in his prime, Vrabel doesn’t think he would have fared very well. Henry, who had previously been asked about his clash with the head coach, said it would be “a fun matchup”. It’s safe to say his coach doesn’t share that sentiment.
“Oh, he’ll probably fall down first,” Vrabel said on NFL Network. “He’ll definitely outrun me… I guarantee you he’ll outrun me.”
Vrabel’s exception is not an indictment of his ability as a player. It’s a sign of how dominant Henry has been to this point in his career. The 2020 AP Offensive Player of the Year, Henry won back-to-back rushing titles in 2019-20 while leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns during that span.
Last year, Henry was on pace to become the first player in league history to rush for 2,000 yards in multiple seasons before an injury ended his regular season prematurely after just eight games. . While he was clearly not 100%, Henry returned for the playoffs, rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in Tennessee’s divisional round playoff loss to the Bengals.
When asked if he would adjust to Henry’s workload this season, Vrabel essentially said the Titans will again rely on Henry to do the heavy lifting this season if the situation calls for it. will do
“The plan is always to do what’s best for each player and obviously for the team,” Vrabel said. “That’s going to be the plan throughout training camp, trying to get some work done but obviously with the regular season in mind. Then, once we get to the games, it’s about us winning. And it’s about taking Derrick to that volume. He needs and we all think he needs to be effective.”
The Titans are certainly hoping to complement Henry with a potent passing attack that underwent a variety of changes this offseason. The team parted ways with AJ Brown and Julio Jones and replaced them with veteran Robert Woods and first-round pick Trillon Burks. Optimism around Brix has grown after his strong start to training camp.
“I would say he’s gotten better since we’ve had him,” Vrabel said of his rookie wideout. “There’s always going to be mistakes. I think he’s done a great job of being able to learn from those mistakes and work on some of those things.”