Axios Nashville

March 13, 2024
Welcome to Wednesday, everybody.
- Today's weather: A chance of showers with a high of 74.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Nashville member Nancy VanReece!
Today's newsletter is 821 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Derrick Henry departs
Derrick Henry on the field in January. Photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Just like Titans star Steve McNair before him, Derrick Henry is leaving the Titans to play for the rival Baltimore Ravens.
Why it matters: Henry is among the most accomplished and popular players since the Houston Oilers relocated here in 1997.
- At a time when the NFL is all about passing, he was a throwback. Standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing nearly 250 pounds, Henry graced Nissan Stadium with a rampaging running style that rewrote the team's record books.
The big picture: Henry's departure also establishes the Titans' switch from a power running offense to a more balanced passing attack led by quarterback Will Levis.
By the numbers: Henry, who was drafted out of Alabama in 2016, owns the team's all-time rushing touchdown record with 90.
- He finished second on the team's all-time rushing list with 9,502 yards. Eddie George is just ahead of him with 10,009 yards.
- Henry's 250 rushing yards against the Texans in 2021 is the Titans' single-game record. Henry also boasts the second and fourth-best games on that list.
Yes, but: For all of Henry's rushing records and his beloved status with Titans fans, the team's won-loss record left something to be desired.
- Moving on from Henry coincides with owner Amy Adams Strunk's decision to fire coach Mike Vrabel and replace him with Brian Callahan. The Titans simply didn't win enough to return to the status quo.
- The team reached the playoffs four times during Henry's eight seasons in Nashville and won three playoff games.
Flashback: Henry isn't the first player to switch from the two-tone blue to Ravens purple. McNair signed with the Ravens in 2006 after his 11-season tenure with the Oilers/Titans.
- Cornerback Samari Rolle and receiver Derrick Mason also played for Baltimore after their time with the Titans.
Between the lines: Henry, 30, agreed to sign with the Ravens for $9 million guaranteed. The two-year contract could pay him as much as $20 million.
- In his place will be free agent signing Tony Pollard and promising second-year running back Tyjae Spears.
The bottom line: Henry's legacy in Nashville is secure.
2. Highlights from King Henry's reign
Henry runs for a 99-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 6, 2018. Photo: Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
It would be impossible to find one play that could encapsulate all of Henry's tenacity, power and skill.
- But when we think of the Henry era, there are several moments that seem like a lock for the highlight reel.
Dec. 6, 2018: Henry's 99-yard touchdown run against the Jacksonville Jaguars is nothing short of spectacular.
Jan. 11, 2020: A few years before he packed his bags for Baltimore, Henry was instrumental in a thrilling playoff win against the Ravens. He rushed for 195 yards during the game and threw a three-yard touchdown pass that showed the depths of his versatility.
- Of course, Henry threw other touchdown passes over the years.
Jan. 3, 2021: During a game against the Houston Texans, Henry surpassed 2,000 rushing yards in one season. He was the eighth running back in NFL history to join the elite 2,000-yard club.
📣 Tell us: Reply to this email to share your favorite memories from Henry's time with the Titans.
3. The Setlist: Eric Church's 19-show residency
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The search continues for Riley Strain, the 22-year-old Missouri student who went missing after visiting Lower Broadway over the weekend. Surveillance footage captured him walking through downtown. (WKRN)
🎸 Eric Church is planning a 19-date residency to open his Lower Broadway honky-tonk Chief's. (Tennessean)
🏘️ Nashville ranks among the hottest apartment rental markets in the nation according to RentCafe. (Nashville Business Journal, subscription)
4. Beyoncé might be taking on "Jolene"
Beyoncé performing last year. Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
Beyoncé's country album is less than a month away, and Dolly Parton is looking forward to it.
- The album, called "Cowboy Carter," drops March 29.
State of play: Parton told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the album could include a cameo from her all-time classic "Jolene."
- "I think she's recorded 'Jolene' and I think it's probably gonna be on her country album," Parton said.
Reality check: We don't know if Beyoncé recorded a full cover, if she sampled part of the song or if whatever she worked on will actually make it onto the final album.
- Beyoncé is famously secretive about her work and hasn't released a track list or much information at all about the project.
- Parton was careful to couch her words during her interview.
But two things are for sure: Dolly is a Beyoncé fan, and Beyoncé is a Dolly fan.
What she's saying: "I love her! She's a beautiful girl and a great singer," Parton told the paper.
- "We've kind of sent messages back and forth through the years," she said. "And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great."
The intrigue: Parton says "Jolene" is her most-covered song. It's a haunting twist on classic country cheating songs with a monster of a guitar riff that would fit in well with the two tracks we've heard from Beyoncé's upcoming album.
Our picks:
Nate's song of the day is "Emotional Warrior," from the posthumously released album by Nashville's immortal rocker Jessi Zazu.
Adam has Chappell Roan's latest album on repeat.
This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley and copy edited by Katie Lewis.
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