Derrick Henry bursts into 2025 season with stiff-arm touchdown, early 100 yards vs. Bills
31-year-old running back reached 100 rushing yards by midsecond quarter and moved to sixth on the NFL’s career rushing touchdown list.
Derrick Henry opened the 2025 season with a vintage performance for the Baltimore Ravens, delivering a stiff-arm touchdown and reaching 100 rushing yards by midway through the second quarter of Sunday night's game against the Buffalo Bills.
Henry's score came on a powerful run in which the 6-foot-3, 250-pound back muscled past Bills safety Cole Bishop en route to the end zone. By that point he had accumulated 100 rushing yards on seven carries, a blistering clip that infused Baltimore's early attack with momentum.
The touchdown also moved Henry to 107 career rushing touchdowns, passing Jim Brown into sixth place on the NFL's all-time rushing touchdown list. He now sits three touchdowns behind Walter Payton, who finished his career with 110.
Henry's showing drew immediate attention on social media. Broadcaster Pat McAfee wrote on X: "Annual ‘Derrick Henry is way too damn big to be that athletic’ tweet," while Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Albert Breer posted, "Not sure how Derrick Henry still looks like this in his 10th year." A fan using the handle Captain Touchback wrote, "For some people their worst nightmare may be falling from a plane. For defensive backs…it’s Derrick Henry with momentum."
Entering his 10th NFL season, the 31-year-old running back has faced questions about durability and effectiveness as he ages. Sunday's performance provided an early answer on the field, as Henry's combination of size and speed repeatedly challenged Buffalo's defense and forced opponents to adjust their game plan.
The Ravens leaned on Henry in the early going, and his quick production helped Baltimore sustain drives and control the clock. Coaches and teammates have in recent seasons highlighted Henry's role as a focal point of the Ravens' rushing attack, and the start against Buffalo reinforced that approach.
Statistical milestones and physical dominance have marked Henry's career, and Sunday night's game added another chapter. His move past Brown into sixth place on the rushing touchdown list places him among the game’s all-time leaders and narrows the gap to Payton's long-standing mark.
The performance will draw renewed attention to Henry's place among active running backs and his standing in NFL history, while providing the Ravens with a clear early-season indicator of the running game's potency. Baltimore will look to build on the display as the regular season progresses.