The coaching staffs range from Terrell Williams and Todd Downing to Mike Kafka and Dan Skipper. But the ties between the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions do not end on the sidelines or in the booth.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, eight players in the fold for the trip to Germany have been members of both locker rooms during their NFL careers.
Here’s a glance through the list of ex-Patriots and ex-Lions ahead of Sunday’s 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff at FC Bayern Munich
Stadium.
DETROIT
Joshua Dobbs, quarterback — One March after signing, the Patriots released Dobbs with one year left on his contract. The veteran backup checked into four games during his lone season working alongside starter, captain, Pro Bowler and All-Pro Drake Maye. He completed 7-of-10 passes for 65 yards with no touchdowns nor interceptions. Entering the NFL in the fourth round of the 2017 draft at No. 135 overall by way of the Tennessee Volunteers, Dobbs logged previous stops with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers. The 31-year-old was previously in Detroit, too, and returned during training camp following the retirement of Teddy Bridgewater. The journey has brought 28 games, including 15 starts, while completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 3,346 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. An additional 515 yards and eight scores have been logged as a rusher.
DeAndre Carter, wide receiver — A former FCS All-American out of Sacramento State, Carter made stops with the Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders before signing to head coach Bill Belichick’s practice squad as an undrafted rookie in December 2015. He would be released, re-signed and retained on a futures contract at Gillette Stadium en route to catching a touchdown the following preseason. The 33-year-old has since toured double-digit teams around the league and went from the practice squad to the 53-man roster of the Lions in October. Through 114 career games, he stands with 1,336 receiving yards, 99 rushing yards and six touchdowns on offense. A seventh TD arrived on special teams, where Carter’s run includes 1,523 yards on punt returns and 3,468 yards on kickoff returns.
K.J. Britt, linebacker — The Lions turned to the Patriots’ practice squad to poach Britt at the start of November. The 27-year-old linebacker now resides on the 53-man roster in Detroit after making the initial cut in Foxborough only to be released as a vested veteran and called upon as a standard elevation. Signed to a one-year pact last offseason, Britt’s career includes 78 games and 16 starts. Selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft at No. 176 overall, the Auburn product spent his rookie pact with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finished atop the Miami Dolphins with 76.9 percent of the workload on special teams in 2025. He stands with 162 tackles, half a sack, four stops for loss and three passes defensed through 994 snaps on defense and 1,315 snaps on special teams.
Myles Bryant, safety — After four seasons with the Patriots, Bryant’s stay reached its end in 2024 as he agreed to terms with the Houston Texans. A brief stop in the AFC North followed before the 28-year-old defensive back moved on to the NFC South as part of Detroit’s practice squad in October. Originally arrived in Foxborough as an undrafted rookie out of Washington in 2020, Bryant went on to appear in 55 games for the Patriots, including 17 starts, while recording 200 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four interceptions. He now finds himself 77 games into his run in the league while seeing 2,514 snaps on defense and 515 snaps in the kicking game.
NEW ENGLAND
Cory Durden, defensive tackle — Durden has been in New England’s starting lineup for all nine games this fall. The nose tackle stands with 22 tackles, the initial 1.5 sacks of his NFL career, as well as a new best with five quarterback hits. He began 2025 on the practice squad in Foxborough before quickly earning a promotion to the 53-man roster, appearing in every game on the way to Super Bowl LX. Entering the league as an undrafted free agent by way of Florida State and North Carolina State in 2023, Durden spent his rookie training camp with the Lions before being waived at the cutdown deadline. Stints with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants were also part of his path. The 27-year-old had checked into eight games to notch 13 tackles before becoming a Patriot.
Erick Hunter, linebacker — An undrafted rookie out of Morgan State, Hunter signed his first NFL contract with the Lions in the spring. The stay ended at the league’s 53-man reduction in August. After clearing waivers, the 23-year-old made his way to the active roster of the Patriots. Now eight appearances into his stay at Gillette Stadium, Hunter has played 14 downs on defense while cutting his teeth with 132 downs on special teams. The 6-foot-4, 224-pound linebacker has stepped in as an oversized gunner downing punts and sits with 13 combined tackles, including one for loss. As far as the Patriots’ kicking game goes, he currently sits tied for the team lead in stops while ranking sixth in terms of snaps played.
Carlton Davis III, cornerback — Davis’ Patriots tenure has featured 22 starts in the regular season, plus 96 tackles, including four for loss, and a dozen passes defensed. The 29-year-old cornerback arrived in Foxborough on a three-year deal as an unrestricted free agent in 2025 and has been limited to five appearances this campaign due to injury. Originally entering the NFL in the second round of the 2018 class at No. 63 overall, the Auburn product earned a Super Bowl LV ring while a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The run ended via trade as Davis headed to Detroit along with a pair of sixth-rounders in exchange for a third-rounder that became wide receiver Jalen McMillan. Davis started 13 contests during his lone year as a Lion, tallying 56 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Kindle Vildor, cornerback — The 28-year-old Vildor signed with New England in March and began September on the practice squad after being released as a vested veteran. He went from serving as a standard elevation to earning a 53-man roster spot in October, yet has since returned to the 17-man group. Vildor stands with seven tackles, one stop for loss, one pass deflection and one forced fumble across a handful of appearances for the Patriots. Originally entering the league with the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2020 draft at No. 163 overall, the Georgia Southern product spent time with five other organizations before landing in the AFC East. Count the Lions among them from 2024 into 2025. Through 85 career games, including 27 starts, the corner has had a hand in 147 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles and two interceptions across 2,158 snaps on defense and 605 snaps in the kicking game.
