The Chicago Bears are making a low-risk gamble on former first-round pick Marcus Davenport, aiming to finally boost a pass rush that was seriously struggling last season. General Manager Ryan Poles hinted back in July that the team might add a pass-rusher before the season kicked off, and it looks like Monday is the day that promise comes true.
The Davenport Gamble: High Hopes, High Risk
CBS Sports senior reporter Matt Zenitz dropped the news that the Bears are expected to sign Davenport, who actually visited the team on Sunday. This guy has been in the league since 2018 when the Saints snagged him 14th overall in the NFL Draft. Here’s the kicker though: Davenport never really hit that first-round hype in New Orleans. He bounced after the 2022 season, and it’s been a tough road with injuries ever since. In 2023, he sprained an ankle with the Vikings and missed 13 games. Then, over the past two seasons in Detroit, he missed a whopping 24 games due to multiple injuries, including a torn triceps. Yikes.
Now, the Bears are banking on him staying healthy and actually contributing to a pass rush that was straight up bad last year. Chicago only managed 35 sacks in 2025, which put them at 22nd in the NFL. They did sign Dayo Odeyingbo to help last year, but he tore his Achilles and missed the final nine games. His return is huge, sure, but Chicago clearly felt like they needed more. That’s where Davenport comes in.
Why Chicago Thinks They Can Revive Him
So why take such a big risk on a player with a rough injury history? It all comes back to a familiar face. Davenport’s best stretch was in New Orleans, and his defensive coordinator from 2018 through 2022 was Dennis Allen. Guess who holds that same position in Chicago? Yup, Dennis Allen. Allen was even the Saints’ head coach in 2022, Davenport’s final season there.
This connection is huge because Davenport put up a career-high nine sacks in 2021 playing under Allen. He actually had three seasons with Allen where he racked up at least 4.5 sacks. That might not sound like a crazy number, but get this: 4.5 sacks would have ranked third on the Bears last season. The team only had two players hit five or more sacks in 2025: Montez Sweat with 10 and Gervon Dexter with 6. Their pass rush was so desperate that a safety, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, ended up fourth on the team in sacks. That’s not good, folks. Plus, Bears head coach Ben Johnson also knows Davenport, as they spent the 2024 season together in Detroit. The Bears truly seem to believe they can squeeze a few more sacks out of him.
This whole thing boils down to if Davenport can finally stay on the field. If he does, and Dennis Allen can tap into that 2021 magic, the Bears’ pass rush could actually look dangerous. If not, it’s another swing and a miss for a defense desperate for answers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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