When training camp started for the Chicago Bears back in July, general manager Ryan Poles hinted that the team might add a pass-rusher before the season started, and that's exactly what they did on Monday.
CBS Sports senior reporter Matt Zenitz reported that the Bears are expected to sign Marcus Davenport, who actually visited with the team on Sunday.
Davenport has been in the NFL since 2018, when the Saints selected him 14th overall in the NFL Draft. During his five seasons in New Orleans, Davenport never quite lived up to the hype that comes with being a first-round pick. Davenport left New Orleans following the 2022 season, and he's pretty much been battling injuries ever since. In 2023, Davenport sprained his ankle and missed a total of 13 games while playing for the Vikings. He spent the past two seasons in Detroit and missed a total of 24 games with the Lions due to multiple injuries, including a torn triceps.
The Bears will now be hoping that he can stay healthy and contribute to a pass-rush that was one of the worst in the NFL last season. Chicago totaled just 35 sacks in 2025, which ranked 22nd in the NFL. The Bears did sign Dayo Odeyingbo to help with the pass-rush last year, but he ended up missing the final nine games of the season after tearing his Achilles. His return should help bolster the pass-rush, but the Bears clearly still felt like they needed more, and that's why Davenport is now in Chicago.
Why the Bears might be able to revive Davenport's career
During his eight-year career, Davenport's most successful stint came during his time in New Orleans, and that's probably why the Bears decided to take a chance on him. Davenport's defensive coordinator from 2018 through 2022 was Dennis Allen, who just happens to hold the same position in Chicago (Allen was actually the Saints' head coach in 2022 during Davenport's final season with the team).
Davenport racked up a career-high nine sacks in 2021 while playing for Allen in New Orleans. In total, the 29-year-old had three seasons with Allen where he recorded at least 4.5 sacks. That might not sound like an incredibly high total, but 4.5 sacks would have ranked third on the team for the Bears last season. The Bears only had two players who racked up at least five sacks in 2025: Montez Sweat (10) and Gervon Dexter (6). The Bears' pass-rush was such a struggle last season that a safety (C.J. Gardner-Johnson) actually ranked fourth on the team in sacks.
Allen isn't the only one Davenport will be reuniting with. Bears head coach Ben Johnson is also familiar with the former first-round pick because they spent one season together in Detroit (2024). The Bears seem to feel like they can squeeze a few sacks out of Davenport, who will be looking to revive his career.
The Bears could have made a play earlier this offseason for a veteran pass-rusher like Jadeveon Clowney or Von Miller, but instead, they decided to turn to Davenport, who has only had 4 sacks over the past four seasons combined. The team likely isn't investing very much guaranteed money into Davenport, so it's a low-risk gamble to bring him in.
Bears might not be done making moves
When training camp started, Poles was asked if the team might look to add some help in the pass-rushing department and he made it clear that the Bears wanted to see what they had on their roster before making any moves.
"We're going to investigate any opportunities to get better, but at the end of the day, we got to make sure we know our team," Poles said back on July 28. "So we'll evaluate on a daily basis and see what we need to do."
The Bears have now had three weeks to evaluate their roster, and if the past 72 hours have proven one thing, it's that they definitely are still looking to improve on the defensive side of the ball. Not only are they getting set to sign Davenport, but Chicago also made a call to the Buccaneers to check in on Vita Vea, NFL Network reported over the weekend.
The disgruntled two-time Pro Bowler, who requested a trade out of Tampa Bay at the start of training camp, would certainly help the Bears up front. Chicago's defense surrendered an average of 134.5 rushing yards per game last season, which was the sixth-worst number in the NFL.
The Bears need pass-rushing help, and they need to figure out how to plug the holes in their run defense. The team is hoping that Davenport can help with that, but if he can't, Poles might have to poke around to see who else is available in free agency or for trade.
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