FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots have had several homecomings this year.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs returned to Buffalo. Coach Mike Vrabel returned to Tennessee with the Patriots winning both of those games.
Next up?
Carlton Davis III.
He’s returning to Tampa Bay, where he won a Super Bowl in 2021 playing alongside Tom Brady.
It’s his first time back since the Buccaneers traded him to Detroit.
Davis, who joined the Patriots in free agency, said Friday he was looking forward to being back at Raymond James Stadium and reminiscing.
“It’ll be fun re-living all of those moments I had in there,” Davis said. “But it’s a new season. I don’t want to be too emotional about it. I just want to keep it to business.”
And that business has the AFC East leading Patriots (7-2), winners of six straight games, meeting the NFC South front-running Buccaneers (6-2).
The game is important to both teams and their playoff aspirations.
“It’ll mean a lot to this team to go 8-2 against a good Buccaneers team,” said Davis, who still resides in Tampa during the offseason. “We’re just trying to get another win, trying to improve our record. I don’t really want to make it about me. It’s about the team. It’s about us going down and getting a win.
“I’m going to have a lot of friends and family, but ultimately, it’s another (team) in the way.”
Davis said there are still quite a few players from that championship team on the Bucs. He considers them brothers.
“We went through a lot of tough days, and hard days, but good times as well,” Davis said. “We’d never not have that brotherhood.”
Davis said he was “in disbelief” that the Buccaneers would trade him not long after winning the Super Bowl, with Tampa beating the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I didn’t see it coming. My agent didn’t see it coming,” Davis said. “It was definitely a surprise for me ... it’s just an example of how this game can go, and how cutthroat it can be, sometimes.”
Years later, Davis said he still has a lot of love for Tampa, the organization, and everything he was able to accomplish there.
He said he’s “grateful for the journey” he’s been on from Tampa, to Detroit, and now, New England.
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