The Minnesota Vikings are expecting Marcus Davenport to be a big part of their pass rush this season but his availability may be in doubt after he was listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
Davenport suffered the injury during practice this week and was listed as a limited participant on Friday. When asked about Davenport’s status, head coach Kevin O’Connell would only confirm that he was questionable for Sunday’s game but the Vikings also elevated edge rusher Benton Whitley from the practice squad on Saturday afternoon, which raises questions about Davenport’s availability.
The Vikings signed Davenport to a one-year, $13 million contract in free agency this season in part to replace Za’Darius Smith, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Davenport has a lengthy injury history and has never played a full season in his five seasons in the NFL but the Vikings believe that they can tap into his potential after he recorded just 0.5 sacks with the New Orleans Saints last season.
“We had a pretty clear-cut identity and plan for him in place,” O’Connell told reporters on Friday. “…He’s really versatile with a great combination of power and speed and football intelligence and pairing him with Danielle [Hunter] and [Patrick Jones II] in that room has really given us a really strong feeling towards that outside [linebacker] room and the versatility of how they play.”
Davenport is the only player listed on the Vikings’ final injury report as Sunday’s game will kick off at 12 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.
