Cody Davis returning to Patriots’ special teams on reported one-year deal

Another core member of the kicking game in Foxborough will be back for 2023.

The New England Patriots have agreed to terms with free agent Cody Davis on a one-year contract, as first reported Saturday by fellow defensive back and retired teammate Devin McCourty.

Davis, who turns 34 in June, saw his 2022 season end midway through October with a non-contact knee injury that required surgery. Prior to being placed on injured reserve, he ranked third on New England’s special teams with 106 snaps played and atop that phase with six tackles made.

The 133-game NFL veteran also served as the personal punt protector.

“You lose that player on five different units,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said last fall. “So each unit has its own dynamics. Each unit has its own responsibilities that come with what he does. I don’t think — no team has a player that can replace a player like that. So it would have to be some type of multiples. Nobody can just plug in a guy and get out of Cody Davis what he has given us.”

Undrafted out of Texas Tech in 2013, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Davis made stops with the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars before carving a roster spot with New England in 2020.

He logged 64 percent and 77 percent of the workload on special teams, respectively, through his initial two seasons with the organization.