A battering ram of a running back, Derrick Henry has been the NFL’s best since coming into the league in 2016, being named 2020’s Offensive Player of the Year.

But Tennessee are in the midst of a rebuild and running backs are thought to be in decline once they turn 30, as Henry did in January. Baltimore, though, felt the opportunity to sign a player who has been such a dominant force was too good to pass up.

“He’s kind of a unicorn,” said Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. “It’s a combination of speed, power, durability. Those kind of guys are rare.”

Henry joins a team that had the NFL’s best record in the regular season and will allow mobile quarterback Lamar Jackson, named Most Valuable Player for a second time, to save his legs for when he really needs to conjure some magic.

After arriving on a two-year, $16m contract, Henry had a clear message for his doubters: “Tell them to keep watching”.