Carlton Davis III returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since aggravating his neck injury, opening a path to Thursday’s Bears game. With the Patriots‘ injury list growing and a short week to prepare, Davis’ status will shape how the secondary defends a sharp Caleb Williams. Davis stepped onto the practice field in his jersey and participated in at least the warm-up period, according to ESPN‘s Mike Reiss.
He was listed as a non-participant with a neck injury on Monday’s estimated walkthrough report, according to the Patriots’ official injury report. Davis played in the Week 1 loss at Seattle, then missed practice all week and sat out the home opener against Pittsburgh, according to Boston.com. He played all 59 defensive snaps in the Week 4 win at Buffalo on Oct. 4 and aggravated the injury, then sat out Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders and Week 6 against the New York Jets, according to Reiss. RotoWire had projected an Oct. 22 return, the date of the Bears game.
Patriots Pass Defense Without Davis
Davis has missed three of New England’s first six games, and the Patriots rank fourth in the NFL in points allowed at 18.8 per game. New England sits 10th in passing yardage allowed at 205.4 per game. Charles Woods has started in Davis’ place and intercepted the first pass of his NFL career late in Sunday’s 26-19 win over the Jets, according to Patriots On SI.
“He’s been playing good football all year. He’s a starting corner in this league,” safety Kevin Byard said of Woods, as quoted by Patriots On SI. Cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada also have dealt with injuries in recent weeks. Davis ranks eighth among 102 qualifying cornerbacks with a 78.1 overall grade and seventh in coverage at 79.6, according to Pro Football Focus data. Opposing quarterbacks have posted an 86.8 passer rating when targeting him. He has 16 solo tackles, 11 receptions allowed and one pass breakup.
Patriots Plan for Caleb Williams With Davis
Williams returned last week from a hamstring injury and completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown without an interception in Chicago’s 31-23 win over Atlanta, according to The Athletic. Williams has thrown for 712 yards and three touchdowns with a 101.5 rating in three games this season, according to CBS Sports. Davis is New England’s second outside corner behind Christian Gonzalez. Davis, 29, is 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, according to Pro Football Focus. Tampa Bay selected the Auburn product 63rd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers after the 2020 season, when he intercepted a career-high four passes, according to NBC Sports Boston. Tampa Bay traded him to the Detroit Lions in 2024 for a third-round pick. He signed with New England in March 2025 on a three-year, $60 million contract that includes $34.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter.
Patriots Get Encouraging Carlton Davis III Injury Update Before Bears Game