As the defensive injuries mounted over the course of the year, it was the strength and health of the secondary that helped hold things together. However, the first crack in the secondary armor occurred in Week 15 when Carlton Davis broke his jaw, ending his season.
No. 10: Alex Anzalone’s forearm
No. 9: Ifeatu Melifonwu’s turbulent year
No. 8: Christian Mahogany’s delayed debut
No. 7: James Houston’s ill-fated comeback
No. 6: David Montgomery’s mysterious knee
Up to that point, he had been locking down the #1 CB position after the Lions traded for him in the offseason. Here he is spectacularly picking off his second interception against the Texans in Week 10….
JAW FRACTURE VIDEO – December 15, 2024
As you can see, Davis took multiple hits to the jaw during the game. It’s uncertain exactly when the fracture occurred.
IMPACT OF INJURY
The injury cost him the final three regular season games and the playoff game. The loss of Davis was mollified during that time by the strong play of Amik Robertson at outside CB. But when Robertson fractured his humerus just two minutes into the playoff game, that may have been the straw that broke the Lion’s back.
The initial expected recovery timeline for Davis was 6-8 weeks which made a return for the Super Bowl a possibility. Unfortunately, Lions fans never got to see if that might happen.
OFFSEASON OUTCOME
Davis became an unrestricted free-agent after the season. On March 10, 2025 which was the first day of the free-agent legal tampering period, Davis agreed to sign with the New England Patriots for 3-years, up to $54 million with $34.5 million guaranteed. The Lions may not have been willing to match that number given the jaw fracture as well as the many other maladies he suffered last year which included a hamstring, two possible shoulders, thumb fracture, and left knee.
Replacing him will be D.J. Reed who the Lions signed this offseason to 3-years, up to $48 million with $32 million guaranteed. Both Reed and Davis are the same age (28), but Reed enters next season with a lower medical concern level.
INJURY OUTLOOK
During this offseason, Davis missed some of the Patriot’s OTA (organized team activities), but ended up showing up healthy around June 5. He is expected to be physically fine for training camp and the season.
Looking forward, there are some concerns. The NFL has seen some jaw fractures over the years including Clay Matthews in 2019, Montez Sweat in 2021, and former Lion, DeShon Elliott in 2022. While the limited sample size suggests good recoveries, it’s still difficult to confidently project. There are worries of refracture risk, as well as the potential of a mental hurdle that affects his aggressiveness.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Top 10 injury news of Lions 2024 season No. 5: Carlton Davis breaks his jaw
Reporting by Jimmy Liao, MD, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
