Emmitt Smith believes Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is capable of breaking his record as the NFL’s all-time rushing yards leader.
“It’s possible,” Smith said, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “Derrick Henry is a bigger back. He takes great care of his body. He’s in great shape.”
Smith has held the rushing record for 24 years after amassing 18,355 rushing yards throughout his Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He retired at 35, two years after breaking the record.
Henry, 32, sits 10th on the NFL’s career rushing list with 13,162 yards. He’s averaged 1,301 yards per season in the league, meaning he’d have to keep that average for another four seasons to break Smith’s mark.
The Ravens star rushed for 1,595 yards in 2025 and began this season with a 144-yard outing in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. He played his first eight NFL seasons for the Tennessee Titans before joining Baltimore in 2024.
Last year, Henry was asked if he thought it was possible to pass Smith for the rushing record.
“I don’t know. But, Lord willing, hopefully. So, we’ll see,” Henry said, according to Hensley.
