Ever since he arrived in the Motor City, the Detroit Lions have needed a reliable pass rusher to line up opposite Aidan Hutchinson. They have had a revolving door on the right side of the defense, with free-agent addition D.J. Wonnum as the new candidate to handle those duties.
Notably, that has left Marcus Davenport stuck in limbo. The Lions clearly don't want him back; otherwise, they would've re-signed him by now. Given the lack of buzz around his availability, it's hard to imagine Davenport signing anywhere, especially with March wrapping up in the coming days.
Marcus Davenport's Market Remains Dry After Lions Split
Danveport started in Weeks 1 and 2 before a pectoral/chest injury forced him to miss nine weeks. He returned for the final six games of the season, but his end-of-season effort wasn't strong enough to foster a return.
All in all, Davenport finished the campaign with just 14 tackles (six solo), three QB hits, one tackle for loss, and one sack. He played a total of 10 games in the two years he was in Detroit, missing most of the 2024 season with a triceps injury.
Even when he was healthy, he wasn't much of a factor. Pro Football Focus gave him a 52.4 grade, which ranked 103rd among 115 eligible EDGE players. His pass-rush grade (55.8, 102nd) was just marginally better, as he only logged seven total pressures, including four hurries.
That's why it's no surprise to see that teams are far from interested in Davenport's services. Spotrac projects his next contract at $1.85 million for one year, and not even that has been enough to make his phone ring.
Most of the big names in the pass-rushing market have already signed new deals. Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Odafe Oweh are no longer available, yet there's still plenty of value at the position.
Competition Is Stiff
With the likes of Cameron Jordan, Haason Reddick, Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, Dante Fowler Jr., and Jadeveon Clowney still up for grabs, it's hard to envision many teams looking Davenport's way any time soon.
Also, the 2026 NFL draft class features a myriad of promising pass rushers like Rueben Bain Jr., Arvell Reese, David Bailey, Cashius Howell, Keldric Faulk, Zion Young, and others, so teams might just be waiting to get a cost-controlled option with a higher upside instead.
Of course, Davenport can still have another opportunity at some point down the line, most likely after the draft, to join a team for training camp. Other than that, this might be the end of the line for him after eight years in the league.