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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Defensive end Marcus Davenport #92 of the New Orleans Saints looks onward during pregame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears need to add talent on the edge of the defense, and a former member of the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions could prove a sensible fit.
Marcus Davenport was a first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 NFL draft and tallied nine sacks during the 2021 campaign. He has battled injury issues since, but both the Vikings and Lions have seen fit to name him a starting defensive end in the past three years.
Davenport’s health concerns rendered him mildly effective, at best, for both of Chicago’s NFC North Division rivals. However, the Bears are hunting affordable talent to add depth to their pass rush and Davenport offers a potential bargain heading into his age-30 campaign.
Across his eight-year career, Davenport has appeared in 73 games and earned 43 starts. He has amassed a total of 71 quarterback hits, 28 tackles for loss and 25 sacks over that span.
Spotrac projects Davenport’s market value at $1.9 million in 2026, which fits easily into Chicago’s strained salary cap budget that stands at $10.8 million as of Monday, May 4.
GettyChicago Bears pass-rusher Austin Booker.
The Bears don’t necessarily have to pursue a player like Davenport, though he fits into the team’s likely plan given what Chicago has done since the mid-season trade deadline last fall.
The franchise traded a seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for former first-round pick Joe Tyron-Shoyinka in November, despite his production tally of zero sacks over the first half of the campaign.
And even after fielding a pass rush that was near the bottom of the league in total sacks (35), pass rush win rate and quick pressure rate, the Bears chose not to select an edge-rusher in the 2026 draft.
That Bears are clearly banking on Austin Booker, a fifth-round pick in 2024, and Shemar Turner, a second-rounder last year, on taking steps forward in 2026. The team also paid defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo a total of $48 million on a three-year deal last offseason to move into a starting role.
Odeyingbo suffered an Achilles tear halfway through the campaign. However, he turns just 27 years old next season and should be able to bounce back and produce more than the one sack he put up across eight games prior to his injury.
Chicago is also going to rely heavily on Montez Sweat and the 10 sacks he provided to lead the team last year to produce again during the upcoming campaign.
GettyFormer Dallas Cowboys edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
The Bears can look at other free agents who should be able to offer a pass-rush boost if the team is willing to spend more money than the approximately $2 million Davenport is projected to cost in 2026.
Cameron Jordan tallied 15 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks for the New Orleans Saints last season, while Jadeveon Clowney contributed 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks for Dallas Cowboys in 2026.
Both remain free agents as of Monday and are projected to cost in the range of $6-$7 million on a one-year contract next season.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group's family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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