Fans of the Detroit Lions are well acquainted with former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who jumped ship last offseason to accept the head coaching position with the bitter NFC North Divisonal rival Chicago Bears.
Johnson and the Bears would be bested by the Lions in both of their regular season matchups; however, it was the Bears who ultimately earned a trip to the NFL postseason while also dethroning the Lions from their top position in the Division.
And while the Lions have their sights trained on reversing that trend in the upcoming campaign, Johnson and the Bears just brought aboard another name that is well familiar to Detroit fans.
Former Detroit Lions Pass Rusher Marcus Davenport Is Joining Ben Johnson And The Bears
According to multiple reports, former Lions pass rusher Marcus Davenport is set to join forces with Johnson and agree to a contract to become an official member of the Bears.
The initial report was confirmed by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, who wrote the following:
“The Bears are expected to sign veteran defensive lineman Marcus Davenport, sources tell CBS Sports,” Zenitz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Former first-round pick with 43 career starts, 165 career tackles and 25 career sacks. Was a starter for the Lions last year.”
By joining the Bears, Davenport will once again play for Dennis Allen, the coach who oversaw his development during his five seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
Davenport’s time in Detroit was far less productive. Injuries and limited opportunities kept him on the field for only 10 games over two seasons, with eight starts.
His most impressive production came with the Saints, where he racked up 21.5 sacks from 2018 through 2022. His standout campaign arrived in 2021, when he set a personal record with nine sacks.
The Bears, who posted a 29 percent pass-rush win rate in 2025 (31st overall in the NFL), hope that Davenport will be able to aid in that department.
Marcus Davenport Was Originally A Draft Pick Of The New Orleans Saints
Davenport began his NFL career in 2018 as the Saints’ 14th overall pick and quickly made an impact, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors. He followed with productive seasons in New Orleans, including six sacks in 2019 and a career-best nine in 2021.
Injuries began to pile up, however, including a foot issue in 2019, a shoulder injury in 2021, and five offseason surgeries in 2022. That year, his production fell sharply to just half a sack.
In 2023, he signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the first of what would be three stops in the NFC North Division. However, he was limited to just four games that season owing to a high ankle sprain, for which he was placed on Injured Reserve in October.
He then signed a one-year contract with the Lions, but suffered a season-ending triceps injury just three games into his tenure in Detroit. He signed a contract extension with the Lions for the 2025 season, and ultimately appeared in eight games, racking up 14 tackles and a sack.
So far in his NFL career, Davenport has 165 total tackles with 25 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He also has four pass deflections and an interception.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Former Lions Starter Joins Forces With Ben Johnson And The Rival Bears appeared first on HEAVY.