The New Orleans Saints will officially see one of their former first-round picks walk away from football much earlier than anyone could have expected.
Former Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport has decided to retire from the NFL at just 30 years old. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke the news alongside Mike Garafolo after Davenport played what became the final game of his career Sunday for the Chicago Bears.
“Long-time NFL pass-rusher Marcus Davenport has decided to retire,” Rapoport reported, crediting Garafolo alongside him.
Rapoport added that Davenport requested his release from Chicago after Sunday’s game. The former Saints first-round pick ends his career with 25 sacks while playing for New Orleans, the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and Bears.
Saints Made Massive Gamble on Marcus Davenport
Davenport’s retirement should immediately take Saints fans back to one of the boldest draft-night decisions of the Sean Payton era. New Orleans moved from No. 27 to No. 14 in the 2018 NFL Draft to select Davenport out of UTSA. The Saints sent Green Bay the No. 27 and No. 147 selections in that draft along with their 2019 first-round pick to make the move.
That price created massive expectations. New Orleans clearly believed Davenport could develop into a cornerstone pass rusher alongside Cameron Jordan, and there were stretches when he showed exactly why the organization was willing to gamble so much on his potential.
Davenport recorded 21.5 sacks during five seasons with the Saints. His best campaign came in 2021, when he produced nine sacks in only 11 games. Staying on the field consistently, however, became one of the biggest obstacles preventing Davenport from turning those flashes into sustained production.
He left New Orleans following the 2022 season and signed with Minnesota. Davenport later played for Detroit before joining Chicago, but injuries continued to follow him throughout the later stages of his career. His time with the Bears ultimately became the final stop.
For Saints fans, Davenport will likely remain one of the franchise’s biggest what-if stories from that era. Trading an additional first-round selection to acquire him ensured his career would always be judged against an unusually high standard.
There were moments when Davenport looked capable of becoming exactly what New Orleans envisioned, particularly during that nine-sack 2021 season, but the complete breakout never arrived.
Now his NFL story ends at only 30 years old. Davenport still spent nine seasons in the league and reached 25 career sacks, with the overwhelming majority coming in New Orleans. The Saints took an enormous swing on his upside in 2018. Eight years later, the former first-round pick has decided his playing days are over.
Former Saints First-Round Pick Makes Abrupt Career Decision at 30