Since the Patriots initially signed cornerback Carlton Davis III in free agency earlier this year, there have been concerns about his injury history and how that might impact his availability this upcoming season.
Because he is considered a high-end cornerback and he will anchor the secondary along with Christian Gonzalez, it would be a massive loss for him to miss any time, which is why his absence from nearly all of spring practices brought on more concerns. Davis has been present over the past week for training camp, which is a positive sign for what the future might look like for the team's defense.
However, the latest update regarding his injury doesn't ease most concerns about his path back to full health. In fact, his response when recently questioned about his recovery might have put an even bigger spotlight on whether he will be ready to go in Week 1.
Questions continue to surround Carlton Davis' readiness for the Patriots' 2025 season opener
While speaking to reporters earlier this week, Davis was asked about his rehab process, as he has now participated in both joint practices with the Vikings. Without disclosing what he's dealing with exactly, the cornerback let it be known that he is still managing an injury, but it shouldn't impact his readiness for Week 1.
That might be better than what fans might have anticipated, but the fact that he's still dealing with something isn't what anyone wants to hear this late in the offseason.
“I’m dealing with something, for sure, but I’m still ready to play right now. Like, I don’t care what’s going on — if it was Week 1, I’d be playing. So, we’re just being smart about it, and we are just going through the process and going through the progress.”
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Although he claims he will be ready for the season opener and all signs suggest he is mostly ready to go since he has finally fully participated in practice, it's unfortunate that we're heading into the second week of the preseason and there are still questions about where he is in his recovery.
The Patriots' defense needs him to be at 100% once the Week 1 game against the Raiders begins, and it's difficult to say that he will be by that time.
It's certainly something we'll have to monitor over the next few weeks, especially because Gonzalez remains sidelined with his own injury. Hopefully, they'll both be able to return sooner rather than later and at full health, or the season might begin far bumpier than most have long predicted.