The Chicago Bears opened the week by doing something for which fans and analysts have clamored for months: adding a pass-rusher to the defensive end group. However, the player the team chose has left many shaking their heads.
Chicago allowed players like Von Miller (Dallas Cowboys), Jadeveon Clowney (Houston Texans), Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints) and Za’Darius Smith (Atlanta Falcons) to land elsewhere while the Bears treaded water. So when the team finally decided to act, it was Marcus Davenport on whom it landed.
“It’s fair to wonder what the defense’s ceiling is heading into the regular season. More importantly, is there a high enough ceiling with this group for the Bears to be considered ‘Super Bowl contenders’ for 2026?” Aaron Leming of Windy City Gridiron wrote Tuesday, August 18, one day after the Bears signed Davenport. “I’ll tell you one thing: adding Davenport isn’t going to move the needle, not one iota.”
Marcus Davenport Has Battled Injuries for 3 Years, Poor Production for Past 4 Seasons
Image courtesy of Minnesota VikingsDefensive end Marcus Davenport, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings.
It might be easier to argue with Leming’s point if Davenport had played a bit more over the past three seasons, but that was not the case.
All told, Davenport has appeared in just 14 games since the start of the 2023 season, starting 11 of those across stints with the Minnesota Vikings (2023) and Detroit Lions (2024-25). Over that span, Davenport has tallied only 3.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.
In his final year with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted Davenport in the first round in 2018 (No. 14 overall), the defensive end tallied 0.5 sacks in 15 contests. For his career, Davenport has recorded 28 tackles for loss and 25 sacks in 77 games played. He will also turn 30 years old ahead of Week 1 as he enters his ninth NFL season in 2026.
Bears Were Among Strong Trade Suitors for Buccaneers Defensive Tackle Vita Vea
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Davenport’s signing is harmless enough in a vacuum, as Chicago is paying him just $1.3 million in 2026. Given that salary and the late date at which he joined the Bears, it is fair to assume that the team inked Davenport simply to round out the position group and is not expecting big things from him.
The problem is that Bears fans have been hoping all summer, if not expecting, that the franchise would take a stronger swing at improving what was among the worst pass-rush groups in the NFL last season.
Chicago let all of the aforementioned free agents land elsewhere after choosing not to select an edge-rusher during April’s draft, despite making a total of seven picks across the first six rounds.
One thing that might encourage Chicago fans is a report from Jordan Schultz on Wednesday that the Bears were among the teams with the strongest interest in trading for defensive tackle Vita Vea.
However, that means little now after the two-time Pro Bowler inked an extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who Schultz noted never wanted to trade the DT anyway.
Bears Panned for Addition of Injury-Prone DE Amid Vita Vea Interest