Derrick Henry ‘shocked’ Titans fired Mike Vrabel

As is the case with the vast majority of people who follow or cover the NFL, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry did not expect the team to fire head coach Mike Vrabel.

Henry, who spent six years with Vrabel in Nashville, spoke to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini after news broke of the move and said he was “shocked” that Tennessee cut his now-former head coach loose.

“Wow. Wow,” Henry said. “I’m shocked. Coach Vrabel is a leader of men. He is a great coach and teacher. I know he will get another opportunity right away. I look forward to it.”

Henry is 100 percent correct in the notion that it won’t be long before Vrabel is a head coach again.

He’s highly thought of around the league and there are currently five teams with an opening that will almost certainly at least discuss the idea of hiring him, with Vrabel’s former team, the New England Patriots, among them.

The Alabama product is set to hit free agency this offseason and based on his postgame speech to fans, it sure sounded like he doesn’t plan on being back.

Assuming the door for Henry to return was open to begin with (I don’t think it was), the move to fire Vrabel may have just closed it entirely.