NFL first-round pick Marcus Davenport abruptly retires after 12 snaps with Bears
Marcus Davenport, 30, has abruptly decided to retire after nine NFL seasons, according to NFL Network. The former first-round pick played his first game of the season on Sunday, logging 12 snaps for the Bears before calling it quits.
Per NFL Network, Davenport asked to be released following Sunday's game against the Jets, which the Bears won 23-12. He was credited with one tackle during his 12 snaps on the field.
The exact reason for the retirement decision is not confirmed; only the request for release and the retirement decision are reported by NFL Network.
The path from roster to retirement was unusually winding. Davenport originally signed with the Bears in mid-August, was released on the NFL's Aug. 30 cut-down day, then signed to the practice squad. Chicago activated him for Sunday's game after he saw no action in the first three weeks.
How did a player go from active roster to retired in the span of one game? He got his chance, took 12 snaps, made a tackle — and then walked away.
A CAREER OF FLASHES AND FRUSTRATION
Davenport's career began in 2018, when the Saints selected him 14th overall in the NFL Draft. He spent five seasons in New Orleans, and during that time, he never quite lived up to the hype that comes with being a first-round pick.
He showed flashes of talent. In 2019, he started 13 games and totaled six sacks. Two years later, he had a career season, racking up six sacks for New Orleans.
The problem was staying on the field. Per www.cbssports.com, Davenport missed 18 games due to injury in just five seasons with the Saints.
He left New Orleans following the 2022 season, and the injury situation never got better. In 2023 with the Vikings, he sprained his ankle and missed 13 games. In 2024 and 2025 with the Lions, he missed 24 games due to multiple injuries, including a torn triceps — all as reported by www.cbssports.com.
The numbers tell the story: across nine seasons, Davenport never played a full schedule. His two best years produced just six sacks apiece, and his body kept interrupting whatever momentum he built.
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE PICK
The Saints paid a steep price to make Davenport the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They entered that draft with one first-round selection at 27th overall and gave up a lot to move up for the former University of Texas at San Antonio star. The specific draft capital New Orleans surrendered to climb from 27th to 14th is not detailed in the source.
What the Saints got in return was a career measured in flashes rather than full seasons. Davenport's sack totals peaked at six in both 2019 and 2021, the only two times he reached that number across nine NFL seasons. He never started more than 13 games in a season, per www.cbssports.com.
The injury ledger is the defining stat line. Davenport missed 18 games with the Saints, 13 with the Vikings and 24 with the Lions, according to www.cbssports.com. That is 55 regular-season games lost to injury before his final act in Chicago.
His last NFL appearance lasted 12 snaps. Davenport logged one tackle in the Bears' 23-12 win over the Jets in Week 4 before asking for his release, per NFL Network. After nine seasons, the production never caught up to the price tag.
THE REUNION THAT DIDN'T SAVE HIM
Why Davenport chose Chicago was simple: Dennis Allen. The defensive coordinator was the one constant from Davenport's best years in New Orleans, and the veteran pass-rusher believed a reunion could revive his career, according to www.cbssports.com.
Allen and Davenport spent five seasons together with the Saints. Those years included 2019 and 2021, the only two times Davenport reached six sacks in a season. The hope was that Allen knew how to unlock the production that had been buried under injuries elsewhere.
The Bears signed Davenport in mid-August with that hope in mind. The fit did not last long. Chicago released him on the NFL's Aug. 30 cut-down day, then brought him back on the practice squad.
He sat out the first three weeks of the season before the Bears activated him for Sunday's game against the Jets. Davenport logged one tackle in his 12 snaps. Then he asked for his release, per NFL Network.
What Allen, Davenport or the Bears said about the decision has not been confirmed. No reaction from any of them appears in the source material, and none should be assumed.
The reunion that was supposed to fix everything instead lasted one game. Davenport's final NFL appearance came under the very coach he had trusted most, and it ended after a dozen snaps.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Davenport asked to be released following Sunday's game against the Jets, per NFL Network — the game the Bears won 23-12. The retirement decision means he will not play another snap for Chicago.
What happens next is not confirmed. The source does not specify when the release will be processed, whether Davenport will file official retirement paperwork, or what the Bears will do to replace him on the roster.
No future plans for Davenport are mentioned in the source. No timeline for the Bears' next roster move is addressed either.
What is clear is that a nine-year career ended after 12 snaps, one tackle, and a request the team has not yet publicly acted on. Chicago moves forward without the veteran pass-rusher, and Davenport walks away from the game on his own terms — or at least, on the terms he asked for on Sunday.
Advertisement
You may also like
Stock up on golf balls: 5 Amazon Prime Day deals you can't miss
Amazon’s fall Prime Day sale runs Oct. 6 and 7, and the deals extend to a wide variety of golf gear and equipment, including…
Amazon Prime Day golf deals: 5 tech and gear discounts
Amazon is running its fall Prime Day sale Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 6 and 7, according to golfweek.usatoday.com. The sale brings discounts on everything…
LIV 2.0 deadline pushed to Oct. 25 as BC Partners commits funding
The player commitment deadline for LIV 2.0 has been pushed from Oct. 13 to Oct. 25, per golfweek.usatoday.com. The extra time comes after BC…
Meet the 15 Epson Tour players who earned LPGA cards for 2027
The top-15 players in the Epson Tour's Race for the Card standings at season's end earned LPGA status for 2027, according to golfweek.usatoday.com. Before…
Why Black Desert Resort abandoned its LPGA strategy after one year
Black Desert Resort managing partner Patrick Manning told Golfweek the LPGA event “didn’t really happen” in terms of local support. The tour stop at…
Verstappen dominates Sepang, but where did Red Bull's sudden pace come from?
Max Verstappen finally netted his first victory of the 2026 season with a dominant drive in Sepang, according to www.formula1.com. The win itself was…