Marcus Davenport was limited to just two games during his debut Lions campaign. The veteran edge rusher is once again in store for a notable absence.

Davenport was placed on injured reserve on Monday, per a team announcement. The move ensures he will miss at least the next four games, beginning with tonight’s contest against the Ravens. It was already known Detroit would be without Davenport for Week 3, but it is now clear a longer absence will be in store.

With that said, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Davenport is dealing with a pectoral strain. As a result, he is viewed as a candidate to return later this season. Per Rapoport, the 29-year-old should be back in the fold shortly after the four-week timeframe guaranteed by the IR stint.

Today’s news means the worst-case scenario has been avoided, but it adds further to Davenport’s history of missed time. The former Saints first-rounder did not manage to log a full campaign during his five years with New Orleans. That span was followed by a single campaign with the Vikings, during which Davenport played only four games. As expected, he was forced to take another one-year deal on the open market upon arrival in Detroit.

During his debut Lions season, Davenport went down with an elbow injury which limited him to just 89 snaps. His absence was one of many endured on defense in 2024 and was acutely felt once Aidan Hutchinson was lost for the year. Davenport remained in the Motor City by re-signing in March. He did so on another one-year pact, one which checked in at a lower value than his first Detroit deal ($2.5MM compared to $6.5MM).

Hutchinson is healthy, so losing Davenport may not deal a massive blow to the Lions’ defensive front. The latter has nevertheless started both of the team’s opening two games, logging a 48% snap share along the way and recording one sack. Losing Davenport will thus lead to changes along the edge for the time being. Detroit sits at 1-1 entering today’s game, but the team’s defense will be shorthanded for weeks to come.

Former first-round pick Marcus Davenport has bounced around in the last couple years since his contract with the Saints expired, but it looks like he’ll remain in Detroit for a second season in 2025. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Lions have re-signed Davenport to a one-year deal worth up to $4.75MM.

Unfortunately, this new contract doesn’t come from the team recognizing and rewarding a strong performance but instead comes from a second chance to make a first impression in Detroit. Davenport signed initially with the Lions last year after a disappointing prove-it year in Minnesota. Unfortunately, a season-ending elbow injury sidelined the 28-year-old after only the third week of the season.

The UTSA product has had issues with health throughout his career, never playing a full season. Since getting drafted, Davenport has only appeared in 69 of a possible 116 games. He’s flashed at times, totaling 10.5 sacks over his first two seasons with the Saints and tallying a career-high nine sacks in 2021 after having his fifth-year option exercised. That fifth year in New Orleans only produced half a sack in nine starts, though, leading to his one-year tryout with the Vikings, in which he only appeared in four games.

The Lions, unfortunately, don’t have the luxury of passing up on potential due to injury history. Last year saw the team’s Super Bowl hopes fall apart along with their defensive line as star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson only made five starts due to a season-ending leg injury. Several other injuries across the defense forced Detroit to make a number of signings and trades to accommodate.

In the aftermath of last season, bring back Davenport makes a lot of sense. The team can’t really pass up on the potential Davenport offers to the defense, and they knew Davenport wanted to come back. He would’ve had all season to rehab with the team’s doctors, so they should have a very good understanding of where he’s at in his recovery process and health journey. Davenport will hope to reward their faith with the comeback season that has eluded him these last few years.

Marcus Davenport‘s hope a value-reestablishing season in Minnesota did not work out, with an injury impeding the former first-round pick. He will still land another shot with a familiar coaching presence.

The ex-Saint will rejoin Aaron Glenn in Detroit, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Glenn was on the Saints’ staff when the team drafted Davenport, though he coached New Orleans’ defensive backs. Nevertheless, Davenport will join fellow ex-Saint defender Alex Anzalone under Glenn in 2024.

Detroit is giving Davenport half of what he made last season in base value, as Rapoport notes this deal is worth $6.5MM. The contract can max out at $10.5MM.

The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal, setting him up on a high-end “prove it” deal to work alongside Danielle Hunter. This preceded a Za’Darius Smith trade, but the Vikings did not benefit from the move. Davenport posted two sacks and suffered an ankle injury that became a season-ending malady. Davenport, 27, underwent surgery to repair his high ankle sprain and ended up playing only four games in 2023.

Davenport displayed quality rush capabilities in New Orleans, but he could not deliver such form consistently. He needed to settle for a “prove it” deal due to totaling just a half-sack in 15 Saints games in 2022. The ex-Cameron Jordan sidekick did total 15 sacks and 32 QB hits between the 2019 and ’21 seasons, keeping teams interested in his potential.

Despite Aidan Hutchinson leading the NFL in pressures and mounting a sack charge late in the season, the Lions did not have much around him. Their Okwara-based efforts did not pan out in recent years. Hutchinson finished with 11.5 sacks last season; no other Lions edge defender notched more than two. It should not be expected Davenport will be all the Lions do to staff this job, but the six-year veteran is the first piece of the puzzle.