Former Viking Infamous for Injuries — Is Injured
The guy just can’t escape rotten luck.
Former Viking Infamous for Injuries — Is Injured
Former Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Marcus Davenport, now a member of the Detroit Lions, may be heading to the shelf for a second consecutive year after suffering an elbow injury against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted Monday, “Detroit Lions pass-rusher Marcus Davenport suffered what appears to be a serious and significant elbow injury in Sunday’s game, sources say. Davenport, who put a sleeve on it and tried to return, could be lost for the season. He’s currently undergoing more tests.”
Before the injury, Davenport logged 2 tackles and 0.5 sacks in three games as a Lion en route to a mediocre 53.4 Pro Football Focus grade. If the worst is realized for Davenport, Josh Paschal would be the next man up for the Lions, a 2nd-Rounder from the 2022 NFL Draft who actually joined Detroit via draft trade with the Vikings.
The circumstance on Davenport is familiar — injuries are his weakness, sadly. Davenport officially banked four games last season, which was really only three because he tried to play against the Philadelphia Eagles but limped to the sidelines after one drive. He was a difference-maker for three contests and then succumbed to a high ankle sprain. No one heard from him thereafter. His 2023 contract — one year, $13 million — would’ve been more than worth it if he played, but he did not, for the most part.
Vikings fans vociferously criticized Davenport for a commitment to the team’s success after he never returned from the high ankle sprain, though the theory was never proven.
New Orleans selected Davenport in the 1st Round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he has played 69 games since, starting 36. He’s tallied 151 total tackles, 68 QB hits, 27 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, and 7 force fumbles in seven seasons. The knocks on his resume are durability and consistency.
Here’s Davenport’s tale of the tape from Pro Football Focus since joining the NFL six years ago:
2018 = 71.8
2019 = 84.1
2020 = 73.3
2021 = 88.8
2022 = 76.8
2023 = 55.4
2024 = 53.1
Davenport is an adept run-stopper, has an elite pass-rushing skillset, and was ranked by PFF as the year’s top EDGE rusher on the 2023 free-agent market when Minnesota pounced.
The Vikings play the Lions in four weeks, a matchup that could decide who temporarily controls the NFC North. Through three games, Minnesota sits atop the division alone, though Detroit is just one game back.
Full confirmation on Davenport’s injury will be available later this week.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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