Carlton Davis III is Super Bowl bound once again, but unfortunately, not with the Detroit Lions.
The former cornerback walked in free agency last offseason, departing for the New England Patriots and the AFC. There, he's been an integral part to a defense that's been rebuilt and once again become formidable, just in time to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
Of course, it's impossible not to wonder if he, in addition to a few other former Lions, have any lingering feelings about never having gotten to the promised land in Detroit in 2023 or 2024, the teams' best respective shots at doing so in recent memory. So, it's nice to hear that Davis most certainly thinks about that, per Detroit Free Press's Dave Birkett's interview with the defender:
“It should have been two straight years I’m here, for sure. I think about that a lot. That's just how the NFL goes sometimes. 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.”
Davis gets honest about Lions tenure, 2025 free agency
Davis, who eventually signed with the Patriots on a three-year, $54 million dollar deal, wanted to return to Detroit. But, according to Davis, he and the Lions just couldn't see eye to eye on a contract. But, there's still plenty of good vibes between him and the team regardless of it not working out on the field.
“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."
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The Lions ended up signing D.J. Reed to a deal once Davis walked, and he didn't exactly have a season to remember for Lions fans. Injuries held him out for a good chunk of time in between the 2025 season, but he finished up with two interceptions and a forced fumble. It was just a matter of staying on the field that did Reed in during his first season with Detroit.
It's always tough to see former Lions immediately thrive the way that Davis and Quandre Diggs are, because it shows they were probably key components to the teams' success in previous years. Davis' impact, specifically, was really missed by the Lions this season, but it's nice to have some rooting interest in both teams headed into the Super Bowl (not to sound too much like Rob Lowe, or anything).