Derrick Henry revelation proves he took Cowboys' free-agency snub personal
The Dallas Cowboys have dropped to 1-2 on the year and despite their valiant comeback attempt in the second half of Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, it's been a disappointing start to the year for Big D. The defense held firm after an ugly start, but it was another letdown day at the office for Mike Zimmer's group, which got steamrolled by Derrick Henry.
Henry was a big talking point coming into the game. After signing with the Ravens, Henry admitted that he would have signed with the Cowboys had Jerry Jones made an offer. Yes, Jones would have had to meet Henry in the middle salary wise, but he didn't even call the then-free agent.
Cowboys fans had a feeling Henry would be out to make a statement. Not only did he show that on the field, but he revealed as much to NFL Media's Jane Slater before kickoff. Henry, who lives in Dallas during the offseason, told Slater that he had roughly 20 people in the stands cheering him on.
Derrick Henry set out to embarrass the Cowboys and he did just that
Welp Derrick Henry told me he was looking forward to this one after wanting to play in Dallas. Lives and trains here in the offseason. Told me about 20 people in the stands to see him. Nice show today. 2 TDs, 133 scrimmage yards
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) September 22, 2024
For all of the wrong reasons, the Cowboys' rushing attack has been one of the biggest talking points through two games. Rico Dowdle has been the best horse in the stable, but the backfield lacks a true difference-maker.
Henry clearly took it personal that Dallas didn't even call. He ran all over Zimmer's defense to the tune of 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also tallying 20 receiving yards. He was a headache all afternoon.
If the Cowboys went on to complete their comeback, we'd be attacking this story from a completely different angle but unfortunately, it fell just short. There's no doubt that Dallas could have used Henry, especially in this game, as their rushing attack was once again a non-factor. The offense had just 51 rushing yards on 3.2 yards per carry and Dak Prescott had the only rushing touchdown.
Henry would have been a nice luxury to have in the Cowboys offense but they opted not to bring him in. Even if they had, it might not have changed the course of their season to this point. The defense has not been performing well and the entire offense has struggled in the last two games.
At the very least, Henry would have brought more balance to an offense that is hyper-dependent on Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.