Emmitt Smith says Henry could break his rushing record

Emmitt Smith said this week that Ravens running back Derrick Henry could surpass him as the NFL's all-time rushing king, a record Smith has held for 24 years.

"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 his chances of passing Smith, Henry told ESPN, "I don't know. But, Lord willing, hopefully. So, we'll see." Smith surpassed Walter Payton as the NFL's all-time leading rusher in 2002 at age 33 and retired at 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 per game. In Baltimore's 41-23 season-opening win at the Colts on Sunday, Henry ran for 144 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said, "As Derrick keeps getting older, you start thinking, 'He can't do this forever.' Then he does that [144 yards in the season opener] and it's like, 'Maybe he can.'"