Jamison HensleySep 16, 2026, 02:27 PM ETCloseJamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsEmmitt Smith has held the NFL’s all-time rushing record for 24 years, but he isn’t sure how long he will hold that mark because of Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry.Smith acknowledged this week that Henry could surpass him as the league’s rushing king.”Oh yeah, I think it’s possible,” Smith told DraftKings.
“Derrick Henry is a bigger back. He takes great care of his body. He’s in great shape.”Henry is currently 10th on the NFL’s career rushing list with 13,162 yards, which is 5,193 yards behind Smith. If Henry plays for four more seasons, he would need to average 1,300 yards to eclipse Smith.Asked last year about the chances of him moving past Smith, Henry told ESPN, “I don’t know.
But, Lord willing, hopefully. So, we’ll see.”In 2002, Smith surpassed Walter Payton as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher at the age of 33. He then retired at the age of 35.Henry, 32, has shown no signs of slowing down. Since joining the Ravens in 2025, Henry has totaled an NFL-best 3,660 yards rushing, averaging 104.6 yards rushing per game.In Baltimore’s 41-23 season-opening win at the Colts on Sunday, Henry ran for 144 yards and scored three touchdowns.”As Derrick keeps getting older, you start thinking, ‘He can’t do this forever,'” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said.
“Then he does that [144 yards in the season opener] and it’s like, ‘Maybe he can.'”If Henry ultimately passes Smith, it wouldn’t be the first time that he has broken a record held by Smith. Henry also broke Smith’s high school rushing record in Florida. Henry recorded 12,124 career rushing yards, which shattered Smith’s mark of 8,804 yards.”Derrick Henry broke my state high school record,” Smith said. “So I believe he could do it again.”
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