Brian Branch’s name is still carrying real weight around the league, even with the Detroit Lions safety starting the 2026 season on the PUP list after tearing his achilles at the end of 2025.
That injury was always going to push his return back. The tear came in December, so the Lions and Branch were already looking at a recovery that would take some time.
What stands out now is that his path back has stayed on track. Unlike co-star Kerby Joseph, Branch has been around training camp and has been working through drills off to the side of practice.
The new PUP rule could also make his return a little less complicated. Players are now allowed to come back to practice after two weeks on the list instead of four, which opens the door for Branch to be ready by Detroit’s Week 6 meeting with the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions could also choose to give him more time before what becomes a big Week 7 game against the Green Bay Packers.
That alone should be enough to make Green Bay pay attention. Even with the achilles tear, Branch is still viewed as a dangerous defensive piece, and ESPN’s latest Top 100 list only reinforced that idea by leaving him off entirely. Jeremy Fowler wrote:
"Often an underappreciated position, five safeties were featured in this year's NFL Rank. Left off the ballot was Branch, who has established himself as a premier player over the past two seasons with a 1.9% pass breakup percentage that ranks third among safeties. In 2025, Branch was one of two defensive backs with at least five passes defended, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks."
Detroit may not need to wait for Joseph to solve the safety picture, either. If Joseph does not make it back this year, which remains possible, the Lions still have a workable tandem with Branch and Chuck Clark. Clark has had a strong training camp and is expected to line up next to Avonte Maddox at safety.
Clark closed out 2025 with three passes defended, 51 total tackles and one forced fumble, and his production only really started to dip after his 2022 season with the Baltimore Ravens.
There has been some tendency to bundle Branch and Joseph together as if both are question marks, but that is not really the same situation. Joseph is the bigger unknown. Branch is the player whose return feels far more predictable, and for Detroit that matters a lot.
With the Lions’ cornerback room looking thin, getting Branch back at safety would give the defense a major lift. Detroit will likely lean on him heavily in the slot and downfield once he is cleared, and that makes his comeback one of the more important developments on the roster.
In Other News...
Lions Add To Crowded O Line Picture With Another Intriguing Move
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Detroit has plenty of offensive linemen around the building between the active roster and the practice squad, so this is less about a clear immediate role and more about creating competition and depth. For Klein, the next step will be figuring out where he fits in a group that is already crowded, which makes his path with the Lions worth watching as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Already Have A New Reason To Feel Great About Blake Miller
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Lions Still Have One Notable Opening Week Question To Answer
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Return duties remain one of the more interesting loose ends for Detroit as the season approaches. The Lions also moved on from other players who had handled returns before, which suggests the coaching staff is still weighing alternatives rather than simply handing the job to the most obvious candidate. For a team trying to maximize every hidden-yardage advantage, that choice could matter once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]