This is big: the New Orleans Saints will kick off their 2023 season at home against the Tennessee Titans, led by a couple of high-profile running backs. It’s a homecoming for Tyjae Spears, the local favorite out of Tulane, but he’s playing second-fiddle to Derrick Henry — the two-time NFL rushing champion. WWL-TV’s Brooke Chesney first reported the news.

Ironically, this is going to be the first time Henry has played against the Saints. New Orleans has only faced the Titans twice before with him on their roster but he was an inactive due to injury for both of those matchups. Dont’ expect such luck this time.

Make no mistake: this will be a challenging game for the Saints run defense, which experienced a ton of turnover this offseason. New Orleans signed several free agent defensive tackles (Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders) and drafted another (Bryan Bresee) to reinforce a defensive front that hadn’t met expectations as of late. If they start strong against Henry, Spears, and their Tennessee teammates, watch out.

More 2023 season!

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Story originally appeared on Saints Wire