If you ask any Tennessee Titans player about the contract situation involving Derrick Henry, they’ll tell you he deserves to get paid — and Taylor Lewan is no different.
A season after Henry posted his best year as a pro that saw him lead the league in rushing and carry the Titans through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Titans slapped the franchise tag on him after failing to come to a long-term contract agreement.
Lewan believes Henry is “definitely deserving” of a long-term deal, as he told the media in a Zoom call last week, according to David Boclair of Sports Illustrated.
“From a business standpoint (and) a friend standpoint, it’s all the same for me,” Lewan said. “I think Derrick Henry is one of the hardest working guys on this team. It shows in his play. It shows in how he is with a bunch of guys on the team. And he’s definitely deserving.”
Lewan received a huge contract extension from the Titans in 2018, but with or without that extension the left tackle would still have a high opinion of the team’s general manager, Jon Robinson.
“I think Jon Robinson is a great GM, regardless of whether or not I got that contract.” Lewan said. “I think the best thing is going to happen for the team, and I think Derrick is going to do an amazing job for us this year and – hopefully – for a lot more years to come.”
Despite getting the franchise tag, the Titans and Henry still have time to work out a long-term deal ahead of the 2020 season. The deadline for doing so comes on July 15.
If no agreement can be reached, Henry will make $10.2 million on the franchise tag in 2020 and could face the prospect of playing on it once again in 2021.
