RB Darrell Henderson wont’ be making Jaguars debut vs. Ravens

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-7 and without a realistic shot to make the playoffs in 2022. But they haven’t thrown in the towel just yet and are still looking for ways to get better. And to bolster their backfield, the Jags claimed former Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson off waivers.

Henderson gives the Jags a solid running back that can spell Travis Etienne from time to time. However, the former Memphis Tiger won’t be making his debut for the Black and Teal in Week 12. Head coach Doug Pederson told the local media Friday that Henderson won’t be playing against the Baltimore Ravens.

“It will be too soon, he just got here”, Pederson said. “I’m sure he got a little jetlagged from West Coast to East Coast and just trying to get caught up with some of the terminology”.

Pederson went on to say that the coaching staff needs to get Henderson “sort of indoctrinated” and see how he fits the team, “we’ve just got to get him going and see what he can do”.

A third-round pick for the Rams in 2019, Henderson was their rushing leader with 283 yards with three touchdowns before being waived. He’s appeared in 50 games with 28 starts and has logged 396 carries for 1,742 yards with 13 touchdowns. Here’s Pederson’s whole exchange with the media:

Darrell Henderson rounds out the Jaguars running back room

So why the Jaguars took a flyer on Henderson? The team likes his skill set and Pederson liked him coming out of collage.

“He’s a veteran guy, he’s been in the league a couple of years”. Pederson said. “He’s a nice downhill guy. He’s a little bigger, just a great opportunity. I remember looking at him when he was coming out, liked him then. And anytime you can add these type of players to your roster.”

Pederson goes on to say that the addition of Henderson is not an indictment on fellow running backs Snoop Conner and JaMycal Hasty.

“Listen, it’s already a great room, comfortable with the other guys. This isn’t anything against Snoop [Conner] or JaMycal [Hasty]. We started the season with four and this gives us an opportunity to keep four in the room”, Pederson said.

Keep in mind that Conner has been a healthy scratch for most of the season and has logged just one offensive snap. Similarly, Hasty hasn’t done much outside his 61-yard touchdown run against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6, so maybe they aren’t the reason the Jags brought in Henderson. Conversely, they aren’t probably doing enough to make his addition unnecessary and Henderson’s playing time in the upcoming weeks will show how the coaching staff really feels about them.

For the time being, the Jaguars will need to keep leaning on Etienne and avoid overworking him while doing so. If he has a good game against the Ravens, their chances of winning will increase considerably.