Lions safety Brian Branch‘s 2025 season came to an end when he tore his Achilles in a Week 14 win over the Cowboys. The injury occurred late enough in the year that it may shelve Branch for a portion of the upcoming season.
Although Branch has not dealt with any setbacks, there is no clear timetable for his return as training camp approaches. With that in mind, head coach Dan Campbell admitted Branch “could be” a candidate to open 2026 on the reserve/PUP list, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Doing so would require Branch to miss at least four games, which would keep him out of meetings with the Saints, Bills, Jets and Panthers.
The Lions entered 2025 with the elite safety tandem of Branch and Kerby Joseph, but injuries undermined the pair during a disappointing 9-8 season for the club. Branch missed five games (including one for a suspension), while Joseph sat out 11 as he battled knee problems. With Joseph managing a degenerative condition, it is unclear if he will be ready for Week 1. The Lions are preparing free agent pickup Christian Izien to fill in for Joseph if he misses time. Some combination of free agent addition Chuck Clark, Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox could help pick up Branch’s slack if he is unavailable.
Joseph missed just two games in his first three seasons. Thanks to his combination of durability and stellar production, the Lions inked him to a four-year, $86MM extension in April 2025. Branch, who is entering a contract year, won’t be as fortunate. On the heels of Branch’s injury last December, Birkett reported the three-year veteran and one-time Pro Bowler was unlikely to receive a new deal in the offseason. Campbell all but confirmed an extension with Branch has no chance of coming together during his rehab.
“I think you always want to know that your guys are, that they are healthy and that this is truly healed,” Campbell said. “You’re always going to kind of want to lean that way knowing the investment that would go into that.”
Extending a healthy Branch could have been a priority for general manager Brad Holmes, but the injured version is down in a pecking order that includes two other 2023 draftees: running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta. Holmes already hammered out a four-year, $81MM extension with linebacker Jack Campbell, another member of the Lions’ loaded 2023 draft haul, in late May.
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