The Detroit Lions are heading toward the start of training camp without much expectation that either of their starting safeties will be ready for Week 1.
Before the first practice Wednesday, July 29, coach Dan Campbell said he hopes Brian Branch can get back on the field in “late training camp, maybe early September,” while Kerby Joseph would be “a bonus” if he’s available for the Sept. 13 opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Both players were placed on the physically unable to perform list over the weekend as they continue working back from injuries that ended their seasons last year. Branch tore his Achilles in December and was already viewed as unlikely to be ready for camp. Joseph is returning from a cartilage issue in his knee.
When healthy, the pair has been among the league’s best at the position, but both were limited last season. Branch missed five games, while Joseph was out for 11 and has not played since Oct. 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Campbell said in June that he still didn’t have a firm read on Joseph’s timetable, and he stuck to that message Wednesday.
“Everything that I told you in spring, it still applies to that,” he said Wednesday, July 29. “We’ve been working to this, but we’re still in this, OK, he’s starting to, he’s running on the ground, man, we’re starting to do change of direction, some of this, but we’re really, we’re not going to grind this for another two or three weeks, man, so I cannot give you a true answer.
“He’s working his tail off, he has not really had a vacation, he’s been here with our guys busting his tail, so he’s putting in the work, he feels pretty good right now, but there - we got a long way to go and there is still an unknown, but I like where he’s at, we like where he’s at.”
Joseph was on a side field with trainers at the start of practice Wednesday, while Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox handled first-team safety reps.
Asked how much he expects to have Joseph ready before the regular season, Campbell essentially framed it the same way he did Branch.
“To me, if we got him back for the first game, that would be a bonus,” Campbell said. “I mean, that would be a like, 'Whoa, OK.'
I don’t expect that, I’m not looking for that. I feel like he’s more on the Branch plan a little bit, and that’s if everything goes well and everything goes according to plan with him and we got everything on our side.
But he’s doing well.”
Campbell also gave updates on several other injured Lions before practice.
Tyler Conklin, who is on PUP with a calf injury, is expected to need a little more time. “Conklin’s going to probably be about two weeks here, somewhere in there.
He’s running. He got a little calf back in the spring, we’re hopeful, no setbacks, we’re trying to be smart with him.
But hopefully get him back as soon as possible so we can get some reps on him.”
Christian Izien, who is on the non-football illness list, is dealing with a flu bug. “Izzy just had a little flu bug, we’re going to make sure he’s good to go. Hopefully by Friday we get him in practice here.”
Christian Mahogany, who is on the non-football injury list with an undisclosed issue, “needs a couple days and then he’ll be ready.”
And on Branch, Campbell kept the outlook steady: “Branch is doing well. His’ll be, we - obviously PUP, there’s no setbacks, take it as it comes and we’ll see.
I’m sure late training camp, maybe early September he can start practicing, we’ll see. But he’s doing well.”
In Other News...
Lions Left Guard Battle Just Took A Sudden Turn In Camp
Training camp has a way of sorting out the depth chart quickly, and the Lions already have one of their more interesting battles taking shape on the interior of the offensive line. Left guard is open enough that Detroit is sorting through multiple options, with the staff using camp reps to get a clearer read on who can handle the job when the pads come on and the competition gets real.
Christian Mahogany is part of that mix, along with Ben Bartch, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier and potentially Giovanni Manu, which gives the Lions both experience and upside to weigh as they build out the line. Campbell has made clear the team will let the competition unfold, and the wrinkle here is that Detroit may be watching more than one player at the same time as it tries to settle a spot that could matter a lot once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Finally Reveals Why He Passed On The Lions
At Big Ten Media Days, Matt Campbell explained the thinking behind the career move that took him from Iowa State to Penn State, and in the process revisited a decision that still resonates in Detroit. Back in 2021, the Lions were searching for their next head coach amid a full-scale reset, and Campbell was among the names tied to the opening before the job eventually went to Dan Campbell.
What stood out in Campbells remarks was the kind of place he wanted to land, one with history and a feel that matched his own background. He said Penn State checked those boxes, which helps frame why Detroit did not, even as the Lions were trying to climb out of the wreckage of the Matt Patricia era and build something new. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Rookie Suddenly Has A Real Shot In Crowded DT Battle
Training camp has already put the Lions defensive tackle group under the microscope, and the opening weeks of the battle have given rookie Skyler Gill-Howard a legitimate path to stick. Detroit is sorting through multiple roster competitions, and after the team moved on from veteran Jay Tufele, the interior line picture got a little clearer for a sixth-round pick who is still working his way back from ankle surgery.
Gill-Howard is trying to carve out a role in a crowded room that also includes Levi Onwuzurike, who is returning from injury and looking to reestablish himself. For a rookie with limited college action last season, every rep matters, and the early camp setup suggests the Lions will keep giving him a chance to prove he belongs in the mix. [Read more 🡒]