Lions $2.5 Million DE Sends 4-Word Message to Critics
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.”
Kickoff of Lions-Packers is at 4:25 p.m. EDT on CBS.
Broncos RB RJ Harvey Gets Honest After Learning Valuable Lesson
The Denver Broncos made RJ Harvey the No. 60 overall selection and the fifth running back taken in the 2025 draft. Harvey turned heads upon arrival, but he also saw the Broncos add a veteran to an already-crowded group, all while learning a valuable lesson.
Harvey, who converted from quarterback to RB in college, brings a dual-threat presence to the Broncos’ backfield that head coach Sean Payton has raved about.
Putting it all together is easier said than done, though.
Broncos RB RJ Harvey Gets Honest About ‘Main Focus’
GettyRJ Harvey #37 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers.
According to Harvey, who turned 24 in February and has switched his jersey from No. 37 to No. 12, “you gotta know what to do” in a “production-based business” like the NFL is.
“You gotta put in the work, and study, and really know your stuff,” Harvey told Denver Sports’ Andrew Mason on September 5. “There’s a lot of time in college. You got classes and schoolwork to do while you’re in college. But you got a lot of free time after practice and after meetings [in the NFL]. During my free time right now, my main focus is just studying, trying to get all the plays right, so when I go out there on Sundays, I’m ready to go, and while I’m out on the field, I don’t gotta think where I’m making mistakes.”
Harvey struggled with efficiency during the preseason, rushing for 47 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 carries, or 3.6 yards per attempt, starting all three of the Broncos’ contests. Those numbers, especially against non-gameplan-specific defenses, are disappointing.
However, those games did not count, and they provided Harvey with invaluable experience all the same as he prepares for his regular-season debut against the Tennessee Titans.
That experience should help Harvey and his new Broncos backfield mate.
RJ Harvey Faces Strong Challenge From J.K. Dobbins
GettyFormer Los Angeles Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins reacts against the Cleveland Browns.
J.K. Dobbins signed with the Broncos in June, late in free agency this past offseason. He enters the season ahead of Harvey on the Broncos’ depth chart, but they are expected to split duties.
“JK Dobbins, the veteran running back who didn’t have a single carry in the preseason, ran away from the defense during one play with a burst that made coaches raise their eyebrows,” The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider wrote on September 3.
“Dobbins’ debut Sunday will be part of a double dose of intrigue in Denver’s backfield. He is likely to share the workload with RJ Harvey, and both running backs are stepping into a run scheme that has been tweaked this offseason to emphasize more outside zone concepts. Payton, of course, will continue to mix in inside zone and gaps schemes.”
Notably, Dobbins called Harvey a “special player.” He will be difficult to keep off the field.
“There has been enough significant change in the run game, scheme and personnel alike to make it one of the biggest questions as the Broncos enter Sunday’s opener,” Kosmider wrote.
How Payton mixes in Broncos backups Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin adds another wrinkle to an intriguingly remade ground attack that will still be working behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Harvey must maximize whatever touches he does receive in the Broncos’ offense.
