4 Vikings players who robbed the team blind in 2023

Vikings Player No. 3

Marcus Davenport - OLB

It might seem unfair to place Marcus Davenport on this list since he's missed the majority of the 2023 season due to injury. But the injuries are what prevented Davenport from living up to the lucrative contract the Vikings signed him to last offseason, so he has to be included.

After Za'Darius Smith made it clear he wanted out of Minnesota almost immediately after the 2022 season, the team went out and signed Davenport once the 2023 free-agency period began.

A former first-round draft pick, Davenport spent the first five seasons of his NFL career as a member of the New Orleans Saints. But then he became a free agent in 2023 and landed a one-year deal from the Vikings worth $13 million.

Injuries wound up being a problem for the veteran pass rusher as soon as the 2023 regular season began for Minnesota. Davenport was inactive for Week 1, and then he was only on the field for four defensive snaps in Week 2.

His first full game for the Vikings this season took place in the team's Week 4 win over the Carolina Panthers, and he actually wound up performing well in the contest.

Then Davenport was back on the field for the majority of Minnesota's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, and he performed well again.

But then he was hit with the injury bug again in the Vikings' Week 6 win over the Chicago Bears, and he hasn't been on the field since.

Since Davenport only signed a one-year contract with Minnesota, he'll become a free agent again this year. Another NFL team will likely take a chance on him, but it seems safe to say that the Vikings won't be making an attempt to bring him back for next season.