New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III and quarterback Drake Maye arrive prior to Super Bowl LX Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Lions CB Carlton Davis: Healthiest NFL Teams Usually Win

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By John Maakaron | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 10:15 AM ET

Former Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis is enjoying success with the New England Patriots in his first season with the AFC East squad.

“It should have been two straight (years in Super Bowl), for sure. I think about that a lot. That's just how the NFL goes sometimes," said Davis, via the Detroit Free Press. "You got a great team, great coaching staff, great culture, but sometimes the team can be — injuries. Injuries, that's the name of the game. It’s who can be healthiest the longest, and usually the team that wins it is the healthiest team.”

Detroit has dealt with a myriad of injuries, especially on the defensive side of the football, for the past two years.

This year, Davis played in all 17 games for the first time in his NFL career.

Davis felt that he could have aided the Lions advance in the playoffs last season, had he not had his season cut short due to a broken jaw.

“I felt like I definitely could have helped out if I was playing in that game,” Davis expressed. “So yeah, along with the other guys, like myself, Aidan, we had so many guys out. Alim. It was just so many guys.”

General manager Brad Holmes traded for Davis in 2024. The veteran cornerback had a previous stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and won the Super Bowl with Tom Brady leading the way in 2021.

Davis and the Lions could not come to terms on a contract extension following the 2024 season.

Eventually, the 29-year-old signed a three-year, $54 million free agent deal to join Mike Vrabel and the Patriots.

Davis still has positive thoughts about Detroit, even though he and his representatives could not agree with the Lions regarding what terms were included in his offer.

“I love Detroit. Before the season started, I was rooting for those guys as far as like them making it back to the playoffs. I still got a lot of close relationships with the team. Even like how it went with free agency with us and Brad and Dan, it was like a straight-up process," said Davis. "It wasn't no bulls**t around it.

"It was good conversation, good communication, so I got nothing bad to say about them. Actually, I'm still a big fan of what they do. And I still got a lot of love for a lot of those guys on the team for sure.”

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