Patriots ST Cody Davis Undergoing Season-Ending Surgery: Next Man Up?

The New England Patriots have lost one of their best coverage specialists for the remainder of the season. 

Per a Wednesday morning report from NFL Network, Cody Davis will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a knee injury suffered last Sunday. He was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. 

Davis, a nine-year NFL veteran, has played in six games with the Pats in 2022, leading the team with six special teams tackles. He currently ranks third on the team in special teams snaps with 106.

Despite being officially listed as a safety, Davis is one of the team’s most valuable special teamers, serving as New England’s personal punt protector. The 33-year-old suffered a non-contact knee injury while covering a kickoff return in the first half of last Sunday’s 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns. The 6-2, 203-pound veteran walked to the locker room at FirstEnergy Stadium before being ruled out.

The Texas Tech product joined the NFL in 2013 as an undrafted free agent. Following stops with the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars, he joined the Pats as a free agent prior to the 2020 season. Davis led all Patriots with 15 special teams tackles in 2021.

Losing a player with the skill set and field savvy of Davis will not be and easy task. When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was effusive in his praise for the veteran special teamer. 

“With a player like Cody, you lose that player on five different units,” Belichick said. “Each unit has its own dynamics. Each unit has its own responsibilities that come with what he does. No team has a player that can replace a player like that. It would have to be some type of multiples. You don’t just plug in a guy and get what he’s given us. That player would already be on the field. And if you move that one to him, then you replace the other guy. …

“But the question has to be answered somewhere along the line, and then of course there’s also the backup for those five spots. Once you identify who the person is that’s going to replace Cody, then there’s five people that have to replace him, or one person has to replace him on five different units, however you want to look at it. But it’s five replacements that you have to come up with, and that’s part of the challenge of special teams.”

The Patriots currently two open roster spots: one on the active roster, and the other on the practice squad. They also also released kicker Tristan Vizcaino from the practice squad on Tuesday. 

Ironically, New England may fill one of those spots with a player who may help to fill the void left behind by Davis’ absence.

Hybrid runner/receiver Ty Montgomery has been on injured reserve (IR) since September, receiving from both ankle and knee injuries. Montgomery was present for 21 offensive snaps during New England’s season opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 11. He finished the game with three catches on four targets for 15 yards, earning the Pats’ only touchdown reception in the third quarter. He also aligned at running back for 21 snaps, carrying the ball twice for -2 yards. New England ultimately fell to the Dolphins 20-7 at Hard Rock Stadium, putting the team at 0-1 to start the 2022 season.

Montgomery’s absence has been a setback for both him and the team. The seven-year veteran was coming off a statistically underwhelming season in 2021, in which he averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 15 rushes and caught 16 passes for 95 yards and zero touchdowns for the New Orleans Saints.

Still, the Patriots maintained high hopes for Montgomery as a solid reserve contributor on offense. During his limited time on the field as a Patriot, he appeared to be settling into an offensive option on third-down, as well as a backfield receiver. He was also the logical choice as their third Z-receiver option [off the line of scrimmage] along with fellow wideouts Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne.

Though Montgomery had been eligible for removal from IR last week, Patriots coach Bill Belichick advised that he would not be activated prior to the team’s Week 6 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

Should his medical status allow him to return to the field this week, Montgomery may be New England’s answer to their special teams needs. Not only has he been effective as a kick returner (where he has gained 1,274 yards on 57 attempts, averaging 22.4 yards per return throughout his career) his special teams coverage acumen may help his case, as he took 48% of the Saints’ snaps a year ago, both as a kick returner and on coverage teams.

The Patriots will return to the practice fields on Thursday as they prepare to host the Chicago Bears on Oct. 24. Needless to say, a close eye will be kept on the players to see if Montgomery is among them.

Kickoff for Monday Night Football is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium.