The New England Patriots suffered a disappointing Week 1 defeat to the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, but last Sunday the defending AFC champions appeared to get their season back on track.
The Patriots cruised past the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium, 20-3, to even their record at 1-1 with the Jacksonville Jaguars up next and divisional rival Buffalo Bills a week later.
Though the Patriots have been beset by an outbreak of injuries in the early going this season, on Wednesday they saw an encouraging sign from their No. 2 starting cornerback, who missed the Steelers game with an injury.
Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III returned to practice Wednesday, suiting up in pads days after a neck injury sidelined him against Pittsburgh.
Davis was dressed in a jersey and full pads as players headed out for Wednesday’s session, according to ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss. The Patriots have not yet declared him available for the Jaguars.
Patriots CB Carlton Davis III’s Neck Injury Timeline
Davis made three tackles in the Week 1 loss at Seattle, then sat out every practice the following week. The team listed him as questionable on Friday before downgrading him to out Saturday, according to Boston.com Patriots writer Colin McCarthy.
It was his second setback since summer. He hurt his hamstring on July 28 and did not return, on a limited basis, until Aug. 10, according to CBS Sports.
Short absences have dotted his career. The FOX Sports injury log for Davis lists hip, groin, knee, toe and concussion issues dating to 2018. He has landed on injured reserve only twice, for a quad injury with Tampa Bay in 2021 and a broken jaw with Detroit in December 2024, according to his official Patriots.com biography.
A Miami native, Davis earned first-team All-America honors at Auburn in 2017. Tampa Bay drafted him in the second round, 63rd overall, in 2018, and he won Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers. Detroit acquired him in a March 2024 trade for a third-round pick.
New England signed him in March 2025. The deal was first reported at three years and $60 million, with $34.5 million fully guaranteed, according to NFL.com writer Nick Shook. Once incentives were itemized, the value settled at $54 million, according to the Spotrac contract database. His 2026 cap hit is $22 million, and his $13 million base salary this season is fully guaranteed.
Davis started all 17 games in 2025. He has 11 career interceptions in 107 games.
| NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | H/A | Time / Result | TV / W-L |
| 1 | Wed, Sep 9 | @ Seattle Seahawks | Away | L 13-10 | 0-1 |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Home | W 20-3 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | @ Buffalo Bills | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 5 | Sun, Oct 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | New York Jets | Home | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 7 | Thu, Oct 22 | @ Chicago Bears | Away | 5:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | @ Miami Dolphins | Away | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | Green Bay Packers | Home | 1:25 PM | FOX |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | Detroit Lions * | Home | 6:30 AM | FOX |
| WK 11 — BYE WEEK | |||||
| 12 | Sun, Nov 29 | @ Los Angeles Chargers | Away | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 13 | Sun, Dec 6 | Buffalo Bills | Home | 1:25 PM | CBS |
| 14 | Thu, Dec 10 | Minnesota Vikings | Home | 5:15 PM | Prime Video |
| 15 | Mon, Dec 21 | @ Kansas City Chiefs | Away | 5:15 PM | ESPN / ABC |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | @ New York Jets | Away | 10:00 AM | CBS |
| 17 | TBD — Flex Game | Denver Broncos | Home | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD — Flex Game | Miami Dolphins | Home | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Home games at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA. Bye in Week 11. Weeks 17 and 18 are flex games — dates and broadcasts TBD. * Week 10 game played at a neutral site. | |||||
How the Patriots Secondary Fared Without Davis
New England beat the Steelers 20-3 without Davis. Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes for 187 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, and was sacked four times, according to the ESPN box score.
Against man coverage, Pittsburgh went 9 of 19 for 47 yards on 21 dropbacks, with an interception and two sacks, according to Patriots.com analyst Evan Lazar.
“That’s without starting CB Carlton Davis III,” Lazar was quick to point out.
Charles Woods played 60 of 70 defensive snaps in his place, according to Patriots on SI. Lazar charted Woods for four catches allowed for 24 yards. Christian Gonzalez shadowed D.K. Metcalf, who finished with four catches for 27 yards; Gonzalez allowed one downfield catch in the matchup.
But safeties Craig Woodson and Dell Pettus went down with injuries against Pittsburgh.
“We had a lot of injuries,” head coach Mike Vrabel said, as quoted by Hurwitz. “We have to get healthy and figure out who’s available next week for a huge challenge.”
Davis is one of those answers. His return would restore the Gonzalez-Davis pairing on the outside, send Marcus Jones back to the slot after he played 69 of 70 snaps Sunday, and move Woods back down the depth chart.
Patriots Get Encouraging Carlton Davis III News Before Jaguars Game