Entering his 11th season, Derrick Henry thinks about turning it up, not shutting it down.
Retirement doesn't even cross Henry's mind at 32 years old. Since joining the Ravens in 2024, he leads the NFL in rushing yards (3,512), rushing touchdowns (32) and carries (632).
Henry is a unique running back, and he's determined to run it back with excellence in 2026. Just keep calling his number and don't worry about when he'll finally call it quits.
"I don't try to enter another season thinking about retirement," Henry said after the second practice of training camp. "My mindset is: How can I get better, be the best teammate I can be, and be the best team we can be?"
Henry's work ethic and dietary habits are legendary, and he reported to training camp looking as sculpted as ever. He's still willing to go the extra mile during the summer to gain extra yards once the season begins.
On days when he doesn't feel like working out, Henry doesn't give in. He simply won't cut corners.
"Some days you feel better than other days," Henry said. "But if you want to be the best, you've got to overcome it. I love the game. Once I feel that love is gone, I'll hang it up."
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley wouldn't put a number on how many years he thinks Henry will play. He's not your normal running back. He's King Henry.
"(Henry) can go as long as he wants," Stanley said earlier this week. "As long as he is having fun and he feels good, he could play as long as he wants, because they do not build humans like that. There are not many challengers, I would say."
Travis Jones and John Jenkins Expected to Join Practice Soon
The defensive line is the position group dealing with the most training camp absences, with Travis Jones and John Jenkins on active PUP and Calais Campbell not in camp yet.
However, Head Coach Jesse Minter said Jones and Jenkins could return as early as next week.
"Both those guys …towards the end of that first week of August, I feel like you'll start to see them get in the mix," Minter said. "They're working through a couple of things. They're also getting acclimated just to be ready when they are ready. I feel confident they'll have enough time to get themselves ready for Week 1."
Roquan Smith Looks Forward to Hearing Minter's Voice in His Helmet on Game Days
As the defensive play caller, Minter will communicate before every play with inside linebacker Roquan Smith, who wears the green dot helmet and relays calls to his teammates.
He's looking forward to having that kind of relationship with a defensive-minded head coach.
"It's awesome," Smith said. "Just having a mind like his actually calling the defense. There's little things he may see. He's at the top of the food chain. Knowing what type of mind he has, I'm truly excited for it. I'm excited to have it echo through the defense."
It's a different situation in Baltimore this year with Minter calling the plays and Anthony Weaver as the defensive coordinator, but it's a dynamic Smith likes.
"I think when you tie two brilliant minds like that together, it just brings out the best in everyone, because two great minds are a lot better than one," Smith said. "I am excited for the journey with those guys, and I know a lot of other guys can attest to that in the locker room as well as on the defensive side of the ball."
How Much Live Tackling the Ravens Do in Practice Remains to Be Seen
Minter is still mulling how much live tackling the Ravens will do during training camp practices once the pads come on. He wants Baltimore to be a sound tackling team, but he also wants to avoid injuries.
"It's something I think about every second of the day," Minter said. "It's a little similar to whether guys need real reps in the preseason. Some guys, you can do enough with them without actually doing it that they'll be ready. Then there's guys that haven't played as much that they're going to have to tackle.
"As a team, we'll probably be a little bit individual based. They'll be some groups that tackle in practice occasionally, and there may be some guys that you'll see out of those periods."
