Prior to the 2024 campaign, the Detroit Lions were looking for a veteran edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and general manager Brad Holmes eventually landed on Marcus Davenport in free agency.

Holmes inked Davenport to a one-year, $6.5 million deal knowing that the veteran came with plenty of risk due to his injury history. Well, that concern became a reality very quickly.

After tallying a half a sack in his Lions debut, Davenport missed the Week 2 game due to a groin injury, returned the following week, and then came down with an elbow injury in Week 3 that ended his season for good.

In a recent article highlighting every team’s best and worst free-agent signings of the 2024 offseason, Davenport was the choice for the Lions. Here’s what Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman wrote.

“Davenport was brought in to give the Lions some pass-rush depth,” Wasserman said. “He played well in his first game with the team but played just one more game after that before his season ended due to a triceps injury.”

While Holmes had the right idea in terms of adding a veteran edge rusher, it’s clear the move did not pay off and chances are we’ve seen the last of Davenport with the Lions.

Making matters worse for the Lions’ pass-rush last season, Hutchinson suffered his own season-ending injury, which really left Detroit short. Holmes went on to trade for Za’Darius Smith to help the group out, and the veteran offered a slight boost after tallying four sacks.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Lions have a starting duo in Smith and Hutchinson under contract, but Smith could be a cap casualty if the Lions don’t want to keep him on his current contract. Smith has expressed interest in staying, though.

“Motor City, 2024 didn’t go as planned at all; we fell short of the outcome we had planned for,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “2025 gives us another opportunity to adjust and go for that championship! I enjoyed every moment with my boys, and even though some faces have changed for the new season, I hope to be a part of this great organization for the future!”

Even if Smith comes back, Detroit needs more depth and a long-term solution to go opposite Hutchinson since Smith is 32 years old and a free agent in 2026.

If the Lions want to take that next step and finally win a Super Bowl, they have got to explore every means possible to beef up the pass-rush. Expect Holmes and the Lions to explore free agency and/or a trade to add a veteran EDGE, and then the 2025 NFL Draft to find a long-term option.