Marcus Davenport might actually play for the Vikings in Week 4

So far this season, the Minnesota Vikings have played three games, and pass rusher Marcus Davenport has been on the field for a grand total of four snaps.

Minnesota signed Davenport to a one-year contract worth $13 million this past offseason, and most expected him to help make up for the departure of Za'Darius Smith this year.

Instead, Davenport has been dealing with an ankle injury since the start of the season, and any time he's been asked about it, none of his answers have provided any sort of clarity.

Well, for the first time since the Vikings' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, the veteran pass rusher might actually suit up for the purple and gold this week.

Davenport's ankle injury prevented him from practicing on Wednesday. However, Minnesota listed him as a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Now, it's possible that he could still end up not playing for the Vikings when they face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. But at least it seems like there's an actual possibility of Davenport being on the field for Minnesota this week.

When it comes to rushing the passer this season, the Vikings can use all the help they can get. Minnesota is blitzing at a record pace under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores, but they're not hitting home as much as they probably should be.

The Vikings have blitzed on 63 percent of their opponent's passing plays in their three games this season, which is easily the most in the entire NFL so far. However, they've only been able to generate pressure 16.8 percent of the time when their opponent drops back to pass (sixth-lowest in the league).

That's something that absolutely has to improve if Minnesota has any hope of turning their season around. Could Davenport playing help the Vikings' defense generate more pressure? Hopefully, we don't have to wait too much longer to find out.