Carlton Davis proved to be a fantastic fit for the Detroit Lions. He was exactly what he promised he'd be upon arrival, a shutdown corner with confidence and general swagger to back it up. His 2024 season ended early with a broken jaw. but as he moves toward free agency he has earned a noticeable multi-year contract.
Davis will have several suitors in free agency, and it stands to be non-money things that will tip the scales for him if financial offers are equal. So any public comments he makes could be telling.
Davis was on this week's edition of the "Slightly Decent" podcast, and he has some things to say about this past season with the Lions playing for Dan Campbell.
The first story about the Lions' Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Davis' former team. Other than it being one of the Lions' two regular season losses, it was memorable for a mistake at the end of the first half. With the clock running and about 10 seconds left in the half, it was either spike the ball to stop the clock of run the field goal team on the field. Some of the field goal team ran on while the offense stayed, leading to a too many men on the field penalty.
Coming out of halftime, talking to Fox sideline reporter Laura Okmin, Campbell took full ownership of the mistake that cost the Lions a chance at three points in was ultimately a four-point loss. He also did so after the game, telling reporters "their head coach cost them."
Carlton Davis reveals why Dan Campbell is his favorite coach
Campbell's public message was pretty obviously along the lines of what he told the team in the locker room, which Davis confirmed.
“He went in the locker room. Bro, he was crying. He was like, ‘Blame your coach.’ he was really like, “Blame your coach. You can blame me. You can blame me,’” Davis recalled. “He took full accountability. I have never in my, what, 20 years of playing football have ever had a coach just say, ‘I lost the game for y’all.’ And there’s plenty of other plays guys could’ve made.”
Campbell is obviously a player's coach, to a level Davis had not experienced before 1-on-1 and in front of the entire team.
"Dan, he’s the type to talk to you damn near every day: at practice, just walking through the locker room,” Davis said. “He literally sat me down like—he done did this a couple times during the season, I had a good game, and he’d come up to me like, ‘Boy, you’re playing your ass off.’ He’ll just say that to you. After the game like, ‘Boy, you’re more than just a cover corner. You’re physical, too!’ And he’ll say that in front of the whole team. He’ll praise you in front of the whole team. That’s the first time a coach has ever did that.
“And not just for me, for other players. And he highlights, ‘This guy is going crazy.’ Like, (Amon-Ra) St. Brown blocking. St. Brown will block the sh*t out of somebody, but that’s something that will go under the (radar). Everybody ain’t glorifying that. But he’s glorifying that in front of the team like, ‘This is what I’m talking about!’ So you know when you’re doing sh*t, he watches everything, but he’ll also give you your flowers, too. A lot of coaches, they don’t do that.”
"He a real one. He’s my favorite head coach—I ain’t gonna lie—that I done played for,” Davis said. “That’s why I was out there trying to break my jaw for him.”
Davis should see what's out there on the free agent market, but it sure sounds like he would really like to keep playing for the Lions.
