Emmitt Smith Says Derrick Henry Can Break His All-Time Rushing Record
Henry sits at 13,162 career rushing yards — 5,193 shy of Smith's mark. Our RB8 keeps stacking numbers at 32.
RB8 in our ranks and trending up — a weekly must-start.
- Henry at 13,162 career rush yards, 10th all-time
- Needs 5,193 more to pass Emmitt Smith (18,355)
- 1,595 rush yds and 16 rush TD in 2025 (17 games)
- Our RB8 — ranked #25 overall for 2026
- Last 5 games: +4 fantasy pts vs season average
Emmitt Smith held the NFL's all-time rushing record for two decades, and now the man himself thinks Derrick Henry has a real shot at taking it. Speaking with DraftKings, Smith said he believes it's possible — pointing to Henry's size, his conditioning and, in true Smith fashion, the fact that Henry once broke his Florida state high school rushing record. Henry currently sits 10th on the all-time list at 13,162 rushing yards, and needs another 5,193 to pass Smith's career total of 18,355.
That's a mountain, no question. But at 32, Henry keeps refusing to slow down. He piled up 1,595 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns across 17 games in 2025, and his hot start to 2026 is exactly why this record talk is heating up now instead of five years from now.
The Case For The Crown
Henry's résumé is quietly absurd. He's a two-time rushing champ (2019, 2020), a three-time single-season rushing TD leader (2019, 2020, 2024), and one of only nine players ever to hit 2,000 yards in a season — a feat that earned him Offensive Player of the Year in 2020. Terron Armstead argued on NFL on CBS that Henry belongs in the greatest-back-ever conversation, noting that after early-career growing pains, Henry has been an unstoppable constant through different offenses, lines and coordinators.
The math is where the dream meets reality. Smith padded his lead with a two-year Arizona run that pushed him to 18,355. Henry banked most of his yardage over eight seasons in Tennessee before joining Baltimore in 2024 and somehow leveling up. Closing a 5,193-yard gap means something like three-plus more elite seasons — a big ask for a back his age, even one who takes care of his body the way Henry does.
The Fantasy Read
For your roster, the record chase is a fun backdrop to a simple truth: Henry is still producing like a stud. He posted 280 PPR points last season (2025), landing as our RB8 and the #25 player overall in our 2026 ranks. His last five games are running +4 fantasy points above his season average — the trend is up, not down.
Start him every week and don't overthink it. If a nervous manager in your league is spooked by the age and floats a sell-high price, listen — but the asking cost should be steep, because Henry is showing zero signs of decline right now. Until the workload dips, he's a set-and-forget RB1.
