Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson does not mince words with the media, which is both part of his charm and leads to some of the more honest utterances across the NFL on a week-to-week basis.
Johnson did so again on Wednesday, October 7 while sharing a strong sentiment on the retirement of defensive end Marcus Davenport, which came abruptly this week after the oft-injured pass-rusher arrived in Chicago in mid-August.
“If you’re not full steam ahead, you can’t cheat your teammates or cheat the game. It’s just not worth it,” Johnson said, per Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune. “He just felt like it was time to hang it up.”
Marcus Davenport’s Availability, Production Plummeted Over Final 5 Seasons in League
Johnson was not attacking Davenport. If anything, the coach was offering respect to the former first-round pick for his self-awareness in a football context.
Nevertheless, Johnson’s verbiage speaks to the Darwinian jungle that is each NFL locker room and the league as a whole, which demands an unwavering commitment to effort and team culture. Davenport, unfortunately, was unable to provide those things, and thus his career is now over at the age of 30.
Davenport began his career with the New Orleans Saints in 2018 as the No. 14 overall pick out of Texas-San Antonio. He appeared in 13 games in each of his first two campaigns, including 13 starts his second year, tallying a total of 10.5 sacks over that stretch.
Injury first struck meaningfully in Year 3, though Davenport bounced back with a career-best campaign in 2021. He tallied nine sacks that season and appeared as though he was back on track. However, things went downhill starting the following year and never got better.
Over his final five campaigns, including a one-game stint for Chicago in 2026 that included 12 snaps on defense and one snap on special teams, Davenport played in a total of just 30 contests. He produced only five tackles for loss and four sacks over those five years.
Davenport leaves the sport after 78 games played, including 43 starts. He tallied a total of 28 tackles for loss and 25 sacks during his time in the league and earned just north of $43 million.
Bears Have Incentive to Explore Trades for Another Pass-Rusher Ahead of NFL Deadline
Before joining Chicago this summer, Davenport played one year for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 before a two-year stint with the Detroit Lions between 2024-25.
The Bears took a swing on Davenport despite injuries limiting him to just 14 contests over his previous three years in the NFC North Division.
Chicago’s defense has been out-performing expectations by a wide margin over the past three weeks, allowing a combined total of 28 points after surrendering 37 points to the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Still, the Bears have call to add another edge-rusher after Davenport’s exit. There are several potentially available options on the trade market and just under five weeks remaining before the league’s November 10 deadline for such transactions.
Bears’ Ben Johnson Sounds Off on $43 Million Pass-Rusher’s Abrupt Retirement