Tennessee Titans clear the way for Derrick Henry to become their starter at running back

The Tennessee Titans have told running back DeMarco Murray that he will be released, clearing the way for former Alabama All-American Derrick Henry to become the NFL team's No. 1 ball-carrier.

"I want to thank DeMarco for his contributions as a Titan, not only for what he did on the field but also in the locker room and in the community," Titans general manager Jon Robinson said in a statement released on Thursday afternoon. "He was a pro in every facet, and we wish him and his family the best moving forward."

Even though Henry led the Titans in rushing yards during the 2017 season, Murray had eight more rushing attempts and played many more offensive snaps -- 647 to Henry's 408.

The NFL's rushing leader in 2014 with the Dallas Cowboys, Murray led the AFC in rushing yards with 1,297 and caught 53 passes in 2016, his first season with the Titans.

But in 2017, Murray's output declined to 659 rushing yards and 39 receptions as he was dogged by injuries. He still managed to start Tennessee's first 15 games, but a knee injury kept Murray from playing in the Titans' regular-season finale and the postseason.

In the first of those games, which Tennessee had to win to make the playoffs, the Titans took a 15-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 31 as Henry carried the football a career-high 28 times for 51 yards and turned a swing pass into a 66-yard touchdown.

In Tennessee's first playoff appearance since the 2008 season, Henry ran for 156 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and caught two passes for 35 yards as the Titans rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 22-21. Henry ran for 85 yards in the fourth quarter of Tennessee's comeback.

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Henry joined Tennessee as a second-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. In 2015, he won the Heisman Trophy as he set SEC single-season records for rushing yards and touchdowns for Alabama's CFP national-championship team.

As a rookie, Henry ran for 490 yards and five touchdowns on 110 carries and caught 13 passes for 137 yards. In 2017, he ran 744 yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries and caught 11 passes for 136 yards and a TD.

During his second season, Henry became the first player in NFL history to have TD runs of at least 72 yards in the final minute of two games. On Oct. 16, Henry ran 72 yards for a touchdown with 47 seconds to play to cap a 36-22 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. On Dec. 3, Henry ran 75 yards for a touchdown with 46 seconds to play to seal a 24-13 victory over the Houston Texans.

Murray had two seasons remaining on his four-year, $25.25 million contract with the Titans. He would have received a bonus of $250,000 had he been on the Tennessee roster on March 18, and his base salary for the 2018 season was $6.25 million.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.

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