Former Detroit Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III says his departure from Detroit was not driven by money, but by disagreements over contract structure and language.

If things had gone as Davis hoped, the 2025 NFL season would have marked his second year with the Lions. Instead, the veteran defensive back is now with the New England Patriots after the two sides failed to agree on the terms of a new deal.

Speaking this week during Super Bowl LX media availability ahead of New England’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Davis revealed he wanted to stay in Detroit but couldn’t reach common ground with the front office.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Davis intended to return to the Lions and continue what he started in Detroit.

“It was just the terms of the deal, which … I’m just going to keep undisclosed,” Davis said. “It was like the language inside of it that I wasn’t really fond of. So that was really it for sure.”

Patriots Sign Carlton Davis to Big Contract

Davis ultimately signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Patriots, which includes $34.5 million guaranteed over the first two seasons.

The Lions moved quickly to replace him, signing cornerback D.J. Reed to a three-year, $48 million deal shortly after Davis left in free agency.

Davis Still Has Love for the Lions

Despite leaving Detroit, Davis made it clear he still respects the Lions organization, including head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes.

“I love Detroit,” Davis said. “I was rooting for those guys to make it back to the playoffs. I still got close relationships there. The process with Brad and Dan was straight-up. Good communication. No bulls***. I’ve got nothing bad to say about them.”

Davis added that he remains a fan of the team and maintains strong ties with several former teammates.

Carlton Davis’ Impact in Detroit

The Lions acquired Davis in a 2024 offseason trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His season was affected by multiple injuries, including a hand injury and a broken jaw, which limited his availability both late in the year and in the playoffs.

Even so, Davis played an important role when healthy, starting 13 games for Detroit.

Carlton Davis’ 2024 Stats with Lions:

42 tackles

2 tackles for loss

11 passes defended

2 interceptions

2 forced fumbles

1 fumble recovery

Despite only one season in Detroit, Davis proved to be a key piece of the Lions’ secondary before his move to New England.