Vikings’ $13 Million Star Lacks Desire to Return, Insider Says

The Minnesota Vikings‘ bet on edge rusher Marcus Davenport, their prized free agency signing in March, is looking like a serious bust.

Securing Davenport to a one-year deal worth up to $13 million, the Vikings hoped to pair the former New Orleans Saints first-round pick with Danielle Hunter to form one of the league’s most daunting pass-rush tandems.

But after playing just two full games in the first six weeks due to a right ankle sprain, Davenport underwent surgery on his left ankle and has been on injured reserve ever since.

KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported on Tuesday, December 19, that the injury doesn’t appear to be an issue anymore. Davenport has been out of his walking boot for almost two weeks and the Vikings have “thought he’d be back by now.”

The bigger question is Davenport’s “desire” to be back on the field, according to Wolfson.

“Marcus Davenport, there has been optimism in the building going back weeks that he will be back,” Wolfson said on the SKOR North’s “Mackey & Judd” podcast. “He does have incentive to play. He gets paid these bonuses if he’s active, but there still is some desire questions there. … Ultimately, it’s the player. The player has to want it. There are questions about the player’s want there.”

Vikings Shouldn’t Have Overlooked Marcus Davenport’s History

The 14th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Davenport has all the talent to warrant a lucrative contract for his position. Entering the 2023 season, Davenport’s 81.2 pass-rushing grade since the 2020 season ranked 22nd among the 104 edge defenders who’ve logged at least 500 pass-rushing snaps over that stretch, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). His 15.1% pressure rate ranked 11th.

However, his ability to stay on the field was in constant question in New Orleans.

Davenport has never surpassed 600 defensive snaps in a single season due to injury, and his motivation to play through mild injury has been questioned throughout his career. He’s played just 118 snaps this season and has exited two of the four games he’s been active with injury.

For a player of Davenport’s caliber, it would have been difficult to sign him to a contract without a certain level of guarantees. However, Minnesota did not leave much on the bone for him to earn in incentives, either.

According to the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Davenport received an $8.5 million signing bonus spread across this season and four additional void years of his contract. He also received a fully guaranteed $1.5 million base salary and a $1 million workout bonus. In total, Davenport saw $10 million of his contract guaranteed with the upside that could earn $2 million in per-game roster bonuses — roughly $118,000 per game.

With respect to Davenport, playing through injury for only a maximum of 15% of his earnings left is not a wise move for his health and career, especially if there is a risk of re-injury.

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