One of the bigger swings that never worked out for Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is staying in the NFC North.
The Chicago Bears are signing former Lions EDGE Marcus Davenport, according to a report from Jordan Schultz. Davenport worked out for Chicago on Sunday before agreeing to join Detroit’s division rival Monday.
For the Lions, the move closes another chapter on a gamble that looked intriguing on paper but never came close to delivering the return Detroit envisioned.
Brad Holmes Took Two Chances on Marcus Davenport
Holmes originally brought Davenport to Detroit before the 2024 season, hoping the former No. 14 overall pick could finally provide a dangerous running mate for Aidan Hutchinson.
The talent was never really the concern. Availability was.
Davenport’s first season with Detroit lasted only two games before a torn triceps ended his year. He finished 2024 with one tackle, a half-sack and four quarterback hits.
Instead of walking away, Holmes doubled down.
Detroit brought Davenport back for 2025 on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million with incentives that could push the value considerably higher. At the time, there was still hope that a healthy Davenport could turn the contract into a bargain and give Hutchinson another legitimate threat off the edge.
We even wrote last offseason about why the Lions remained confident in Davenport.
Once again, injuries got in the way.
Davenport appeared in eight games in 2025, recording 14 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. That left him with just 10 games played, 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks across two seasons in Detroit.
That is not what Holmes had in mind when he made Davenport one of his answers opposite Hutchinson.
Davenport Gets Another Chance in Chicago
Now the Bears are taking their own shot.
Davenport joins Chicago with 25 career sacks and 165 tackles in 77 NFL games. His best football came with the New Orleans Saints, where he played under current Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Davenport posted a career-high nine sacks in 2021, which helps explain why Chicago believes there could still be something worth unlocking.
The Bears should also have more modest expectations than Detroit once did. Davenport is no longer being viewed as the potential long-term answer opposite a franchise pass rusher. At this stage of his career, he can be used as a rotational defensive end who gives Chicago another experienced option.
If he stays healthy, perhaps Allen can squeeze something out of a player he knows extremely well.
That “if” has followed Davenport for most of his career.
Detroit learned that the hard way.
By the end of last season, it was clear that Davenport’s time with the Lions had become defined by injuries and missed opportunities.
Bottom Line
Brad Holmes has hit far more often than he has missed since taking over the Lions, but Marcus Davenport belongs firmly in the miss column.
Detroit took the gamble twice, hoping Davenport’s talent would eventually outweigh his injury history. Instead, the Lions received 10 games and 1.5 sacks over two seasons while repeatedly searching for other answers opposite Hutchinson.
Now Davenport gets another opportunity, and Lions fans will not have to look very far to see how it turns out.
He is headed to Chicago.
And if the Bears somehow find the version of Davenport Detroit spent two years waiting for, this particular Holmes swing and miss could become a little more painful.