Tennessee Titans fans are heartbroken this week after receiving news that star running back Derrick Henry has been indefinitely sidelined due to a foot injury.
With Henry potentially out for the remainder of the season, the Titans are attempting to offset the loss with a new lineup addition.
But what could this news mean for NFL futures odds?
Derrick Henry placed on injured reserve
Much like many of the Titans’ other wins this season, Week 8’s victory against the Indianapolis Colts certainly didn’t come without cost. The team suffered yet another injury when key player Derrick Henry broke a bone in his right foot in the game’s first quarter.
Tennessee officially placed Henry on the injured reserve list Monday night, and he underwent foot surgery Tuesday morning.
Although there is no official timeline for his expected return, the recovery period could keep him sidelined for as long as 10 weeks.
The news has had a big impact on betting odds for the team.
Titans Rams Sunday Night Football odds
In most scenarios, an injured running back wouldn’t have any major influence on a team’s odds. With Henry playing such an integral part in this team’s success, though, Titans betting odds shifted almost immediately.
The Titans enter NFL Week 9 with a 6-2 record for the season. Lines for the team’s upcoming Sunday Night Football game began to move quickly after Henry’s injury. Initial lines sat at Titans +4. Lines re-opened around +6.5 at most Tennessee online sportsbooks.
Now, the Titans enter the game against the Los Angeles Rams at after news of Henry needing surgery.
Sportsbooks have favored Tennessee in the AFC South for the majority of the season, and the team remains at the top now with odds.
After winning against the Colts and securing the best record in the conference, sportsbooks were even beginning to favor the Titans against the entire AFC. Tennessee currently holds odds of winning the AFC conference.
Super Bowl odds have also shifted thus far. As of now, Tennessee is tied with the Kansas City Chiefs with the third-best odds of winning the Super Bowl at .
Titans find light at the end of the tunnel with Adrian Peterson
The Titans are not to be counted out just yet, however. Now that Henry is out indefinitely, opportunity expands to new players.
In the short term, Head Coach Mike Vrabel says the Titans must continue forward without hesitation. He released a statement on the team’s future, saying:
“I know that Derrick will be around our team as soon as he can. I know that is important to him, and I know that will be important to our team. And we will have to move on. We’ll have to move on unfortunately without him in the short term, and not look back.”
Upon news of Henry’s hiatus, Tennessee’s first plan of action was to sign running back legend Adrian Peterson to the practice squad. The team’s new addition will then move to the active roster in place of Henry if all goes as planned.
Peterson holds the NFL’s fifth-best record for rushing yards, with 14,820 in his career. During last year’s season with the Detroit Lions, his 604 yards on 156 carries resulted in seven touchdowns for the team.
