Detroit Lions defensive end Marcus Davenport is well aware of the critics who question his ability to stay healthy.
Despite those concerns, the team has chosen not to pursue costly, big-name defensive ends, showing the confidence the front office and coaching staff have in the former first-round pick.
After Friday’s practice, Davenport told MLive that the criticism has taken a toll not only on him but also on his family.
Affecting His Family, Davenport Says ‘Of Course I Care’
“Shoot, of course I care. Man, look, I got a heart,” Davenport told MLive. “My family reads stuff. And then there’s the other aspect: (expletive) em’. Honestly, I don’t want to say I get mad, but most people that talk (expletive), I will not trade places with.”
In a sport as physically demanding as football, where players like Davenport put their bodies on the line every week, he explained how he balances maintaining peak condition for himself and his teammates with the drive to silence his doubters.
“It’s hard to compartmentalize that,” he said. “My point, and one thing I’ve been lucky to be able to do, and my dad, I blame him, is to keep going. A lot of stuff upsets me. A lot of stuff still gets to me. I just haven’t been able to stop yet, and so I just trying to keep going.”
Marcus Davenport Was Out Most of the Year With Injury
Drafted No. 14 overall in 2018 to the New Orleans Saints out of UTSA, Davenport played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 before signing with the Lions in March 2024.
GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 01: Marcus Davenport #0 of the Minnesota Vikings is congratulated by teammates after a sack Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The 29-year-old missed most of last season after suffering an elbow injury in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals .
Even though the setback came on a fluke play, many fans remain unconvinced that the Lions have adequate depth behind star Aidan Hutchinson .
The Lions may be one complementary pass rusher away from competing for a Super Bowl.
“I think (Davenport is) a really good player. And I think sometimes the injuries get to give them a knock on him. But it’s football. It’s a collision sport. People run into each other, they get hurt,” said defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers. “So, it’s just part of it. So the thing with him, he wants to take all the reps. He never wants to come off the field. He’s just a really true, hard-nosed football player.”
Marcus Davenport Focused on Maintaining Division Title
Fully healthy, Davenport is now focused on Sunday’s season opener at Lambeau Field against the division-rival Green Bay Packers .
When asked about his return after missing much of last season, he explained that his excitement is less about personal redemption and more about what the moment means for the entire team.
“I think it is going to be awesome because we’ve been able to see our defense, but not exactly in the game situation that we want to,” Davenport said. “But of course there’s gonna be little wrinkles, and I think we have such a good group that we can play off each other, make anything right.”
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