FOXBOROUGH, Mass — There has only been one week throughout the 2026 season that the New England Patriots' starting secondary has all played together, and that was Week 1.

Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez has missed two games this season, while safety Craig Woodson was forced to sit out in Week 3. And then, there's Carlton Davis who has been sidelined for more than half the games this year due to a neck injury.

The only two that have been healthy and have played in every game are safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Marcus Jones.

But, it seems everyone is finally starting to get healthier, with the starting secondary all in line to play in Sunday's divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins. And they are all beyond excited to get out there and get back to locking down opposing offenses.

“Last year I played in every game, so this year I was looking to do the same, and I was a bit disappointed not being able to do that, but I’m back here, and I’m ready to go,” Davis said. “It’s going to be great having all the guys back, being at full power and being able to go out there and feed off each other and make plays together.”

And Davis isn't the only one looking forward to having the entire group back together, as his teammates have also been counting down the days.

“CD is a great vet, somebody that I lean on a lot, able to talk to, pick his mind about certain things,” Gonzalez said. “He’s seen a lot of ball, so just having him back out there is amazing. So, excited to get all of us back. I think this is the first game since the first week it’s going to be all of us out there. So excited for that to get back on the field with all that.”

Jones, meanwhile, is looking forward to seeing the chemistry of the group come together again.

"Definitely looking forward to it. I mean, my main thing is always making sure everyone's healthy. At the end of the day, if you're healthy, we want you out there. CD has worked hard when it comes down to getting back out here on the field," he told Patriots Wire. "And as I said, it's a guy that's played a lot of football, so we definitely have a lot of chemistry when it comes down to all of us being on the field together. So definitely excited for him."

The excitement extends beyond the cornerback room, too, with Woodson eager to have the veteran back in the mix.

"He's a veteran guy who played a lot of ball, and it's always fun to have him out there and run around," the second-year safety added when speaking exclusively with the outlet. "He brings some energy, so it'll be good... He's a great corner who can make a lot of plays, and I think it'll be good just to have them back and just be out there having fun with them. It'll be cool."

Byard also emphasized the impact Davis can have on the defense.

"He's one of our better players on the team. I think Carlton has proven in his career, and obviously, since my short time being here, being a playmaker for us, really good tackling corner as well," the captain expressed. "So just adds another piece to an elite defense, an elite secondary that we haven't had, and honestly, I can't even really think, I'm thinking we only had probably like one game altogether, which is crazy. I think it was week one... It's gonna be good to get him out there. He's a really good player."

The players aren't the only ones who recognize how valuable Davis' presence is, with defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr also weighing in on what his return means for the defense.

"When CD's out there smiling, we're all smiling," he told reporters Thursday. "He's got an infectious energy and personality. I love CD to death. He's passionate about this. He brings grit to the secondary. He's physical. He's physical in his technique, especially when he plays man coverage. He shows up probably better than anybody else in the run game, and he buys into that stuff, and he kind of sets the tone for that stuff. And he's a playmaker. We saw it in the playoffs last year against Houston: his ability to take the ball away.

"When he's out there having fun, like everybody's having fun. He's loud out there with the guys. He's messing with them. He's challenging them. He's a great teammate. He's a phenomenal teammate. I can't say enough great things about CD. And he's just a pleasure. He's a pleasure to be around. And like I said, it's just infectious. It just goes throughout the whole building."

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