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Former New York Jets pass rusher Carl Lawson reacting ahead of an NFL game.
The Detroit Lions already faced questions about their edge rushing depth to start the season, and an injury to Marcus Davenport has only made those questions even more pressing.
The Lions announced that the defensive end will miss Monday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, leaving star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson without a counterpart. The Lions did little to address their relative lack of depth at the position this offseason, but one insider believes they could now be looking for some outside help in the form of a $45 million veteran.
Lions Could Turn to 30-Year-Old Free Agent
Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire broke down the team’s potential options to fill in for Davenport, noting that veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad will be the next man up. He had a sack in last week’s blowout win over the Chicago Bears and has been a full-time starter in the NFL.
But the Lions may also need some long-term help, with Risdon predicting they will look to the open market.
“Looking more long-term, there aren’t any great options,” Risdon wrote. “The best available free agent is Carl Lawson, another player like Davenport who is almost universally noted as ‘oft-injured.’ Lawson did bag five sacks in 15 games as a pass rush specialist for Dallas a year ago.”
Risdon added that Lawson, once a productive pass rusher who earned a $45 million contract from the New York Jets, hasn’t seen much interest in free agency.
“He’s not even worked out for any teams yet in 2025, per the NFL’s transaction wire, which doesn’t necessarily bode well for his ability to make an immediate impact,” Risdon wrote. “The market is quite thin, barring completely speculative trade scenarios that aren’t worth breathing life into at this point.”
Many insiders expected the Lions would bring back veteran Za’Darius Smith, who came to the team ahead of last season’s trade deadline after Hutchinson suffered a season-ending fractured leg. But despite reports that the front office remained in contact with Smith’s team, he ended up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month.
The Lions struggled to establish a consistent pass rush after Hutchinson went down in October, with the issues coming to a head in the team’s early playoff exit. The Lions failed to sack Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in the 45-31 loss in the divisional round.
Lions Could See Marcus Davenport Return
While the Lions already ruled Davenport out for Monday Night Football, head coach Dan Campbell said he believes the injury won’t be season-ending. He said the team would need more testing, with an answer likely coming by the end of the weekend.
“Yeah, I don’t see Davenport playing. We’re still trying to decide what to do. We’ve gotten some other tests back,” Campbell said. “We do not feel this is season-ending, but don’t see him playing this week.”
Campbell expressed confidence that the team could stay in-house for a replacement, saying he trusted the depth behind the starting defensive end.
“Yes, we do. I feel good about the depth,” Campbell said.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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