Marcus Davenport retires after just one game with Bears

Marcus Davenport’s NFL career has come to an abrupt close. The former first-round pick is retiring after nine seasons, stepping away just days after making his 2026 debut for the Chicago Bears in Week 4 against the New York Jets, a game Chicago won 23-12.

According to NFL Network, the 30-year-old edge rusher asked the Bears to release him following that contest. Davenport was active for the first time this season and appeared on 12 defensive snaps, recording one tackle in what will now stand as his lone outing with Chicago.

Short-lived Chicago stint after August signing

Davenport joined the Bears in mid-August seeking a fresh start and a chance to revive his career. He was unable to secure a spot on the initial 53-man roster, however, as Chicago released him on the league-wide cut-down date of Aug. 30 before re-signing him to the practice squad.

The veteran pass rusher did not play in the first three weeks of the season while on the practice squad. Chicago eventually elevated him for the matchup with the Jets, but his return to regular-season action proved brief, ending with his retirement decision soon after.

Saints’ aggressive 2018 trade-up and injury-filled career

Davenport entered the league in 2018 as the 14th overall selection by the New Orleans Saints, who paid a significant price to move up for the University of Texas at San Antonio standout. New Orleans traded with the Green Bay Packers, sending the 27th pick and a fifth-rounder in 2018, along with its 2019 first-round pick, to secure Davenport at No. 14.

During five seasons with the Saints, Davenport flashed his ability in stretches but struggled to consistently meet the expectations that come with such a trade-up. He posted six sacks in 2019, when he started 13 games, and matched that total in 2021 for what would become his career-best seasons.

Availability was a recurring issue. Davenport missed 18 games over his five years in New Orleans because of injuries before departing after the 2022 season. The pattern continued with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, when an ankle sprain sidelined him for 13 games, and with the Detroit Lions in 2024 and 2025, where he missed 24 games combined, including time lost to a torn triceps.

One factor in his decision to sign with Chicago was the opportunity to reunite with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, with whom he had previously worked during his Saints tenure, including in his two six-sack seasons. Davenport’s retirement closes the book on a nine-year run that featured 25 career sacks in more than 78 games, including 43 starts.