The Detroit Lions defensive line struggled mightily with injuries in 2024, which is a big reason why they collapsed in their playoff matchup against the Washington Commanders. One guy who fell victim to the injury bug was veteran free agent signing Marcus Davenport, as he played in just two games due to a variety of injuries.
Davenport signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Lions last offseason, but he suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Detroit’s Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. This came just one year after he played in only four games for the Minnesota Vikings, with his season ending in Week 6 due to a high ankle sprain.
Detroit could have opted to cut their losses and move on from Davenport since his contract was up, but their front office had other plans. It was reported on Saturday that the Lions re-signed Davenport to a one-year, $4.75 million contract with hopes that he can stay healthy in 2025 and contribute on their d-line.
“Source: The Lions are bringing back edge rusher Marcus Davenport on a 1-year deal worth up to $4.75M. After injuries robbed him of most of last year, Detroit takes another shot to run it back,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in a post on X.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Davenport didn’t do much in his two games for the Lions in 2024, racking up two tackles and 0.5 sacks during his time on the field.
The hope is that Davenport can find his form from the 2021 campaign, when he accumulated a career-high nine sacks in just 11 games for the New Orleans Saints. Staying healthy will be key, though, as Davenport has never managed to play a full slate of games throughout his seven-year NFL career.
Even with the return of Davenport, the Lions could use some help on their defensive line this offseason. They could look to the free agent market for help, with the legal tampering period set to open on Monday, March 10 at 12 p.m. EST.