Titans GM says Derrick Henry conversation remains ongoing

Observers of the Tennessee Titans know the hot topic of the offseason revolves around a cornerstone of the franchise: running back Derrick Henry, whose contract expired after the 2023 season. General manager Ran Carthon said the talks about keeping Henry in Nashville are ongoing. The two had a “good conversation” after the season, according to Carthon.

“He knows where we are, and he knows where he is,” Carthon said. “We don’t talk about players’ contract status in public, but we’ll be well-positioned to do whatever we need to do, however those conversations need to take place (with) Derrick and his team.”

Carthon spoke in Indianapolis – a city he knows well as a former Colts player from 2004-2006 – at the annual NFL Combine. A high priority for the Titans over the offseason is improving the team’s speed.

“The name of the game in this league is speed,” he said. “We want to be able to apply pressure on the offense and defense with speed.”

The Titans, Carthon said, plan to be active but also patient in free agency, positioning themselves to acquire the best players at the right time. He added that the Titans use a three-letter acronym, F.I.T – which stands for “Fast, Instinctive, Tough” – when evaluating potential Titans.

“You need to be fast and instinctive and tough or fundamentally sound, instinctive and tough,” Carthon added. “We’re trying to build a long term, consistent thing. We can’t do that spending (money) up front. There are going to be guys that come available in June and July that we have to have the (cap) space for.”