The NFL’s latest discipline report landed with a couple of Detroit Lions on it after their Week 7 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Brian Branch and Derrick Barnes were both fined for unnecessary roughness, with Branch tagged for use of the helmet and Barnes punished for a late hit. Branch’s fine came in at $23,882, while Barnes was docked $11,941.
Green Bay also had its own run-ins with the league office. Safety Xavier McKinney was fined $25,000 for his postgame criticism of the officiating crew after a game that featured controversial calls on both sides. Packers cornerback Brandon Cisse was fined as well, with the league citing taunting.
Barnes has remained an important part of Detroit’s defense this season, his second year under the three-year extension he signed before last season.
Branch’s week was a little more eventful. He was back on the active roster Sunday after missing the first six weeks while rehabbing the torn Achilles he suffered in December of last season. He got back to practice during Week 5, and the Lions used the bye week to help him ease back in before putting him in the lineup again.
His first game back produced a big moment. Branch picked off Jordan Love on a leaping grab off a desperation throw, and the crowd let him know exactly how much they appreciated it.
He’s now in the final year of his rookie deal, and reports say the Lions are open to working on a new contract with him, along with fellow 2023 second-round pick Sam LaPorta.
Since Detroit traded up to draft him, Branch has been a versatile piece in the secondary. He worked as the nickel cornerback as a rookie, then moved to safety full time in 2024 and has stayed there since.
And there may be more help coming soon. Kerby Joseph returned to practice this week for the first time all season, though he won’t play Sunday against Minnesota. Because he is in his 21-day return-to-practice window, he could be back sometime over the next two weeks.
Detroit hosts the undefeated, first-place Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ford Field.
In Other News...
Lions Face A Bigger Secondary Question As Deadline Nears
The Lions have started to get healthier in the back end, with Kerby Joseph back at practice and Brian Branch already returned to the mix. For a defense that has been trying to steady itself, those developments matter, especially with the secondary taking shape again as the team moves deeper into the season.
Even with that help on the way, the next few days could still bring another move as the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaches. Detroit could look for help at cornerback or linebacker if it decides the defense needs another boost, even as the offense has been getting solid work up front from Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge and rookie Blake Miller. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Keep Getting Linked To Maxx Crosby For One Big Reason
Maxx Crosby is still in Las Vegas for now, but the chatter around him has not gone away, and Detroit keeps coming up for a simple reason: the Lions are built to make sense for a player of his caliber. The Raiders are open to trade offers ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, even if Crosby reportedly does not want to be moved, which keeps the conversation alive around a pass rusher who would instantly change the feel of a defense.
For the Lions, the timing only adds to the intrigue. They have not needed to dip into the practice squad lately, and their roster is mostly healthy, leaving little immediate urgency elsewhere while the front office keeps an eye on bigger-picture upgrades. If Detroit is going to be aggressive about adding another impact piece, Crosby is the kind of name that will keep surfacing until the Raiders finally shut the door. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Trade Deadline Pressure Is Now Squarely On Brad Holmes
Chicagos move for Jeffrey Simmons only sharpened the pressure on the Lions as the trade deadline approaches, because Detroits own roster questions are still sitting in plain view. The biggest one remains the secondary, where the defense has been vulnerable enough to keep the front offices options under a microscope. Brad Holmes has built a reputation for being selective, but this is the kind of moment that tests whether patience is still the right play.
The debate around Detroit is less about whether help is needed and more about how far Holmes should go to get it. An aggressive swing for a starting cornerback would clearly change the ceiling of the defense, yet the cost of paying premium draft capital for that kind of upgrade is part of what makes the decision so tricky. On the other side of the argument, there is still enough belief in the talent already coming back and the young pieces developing that a more modest deadline approach would make sense too, leaving the Lions to weigh urgency against long-term value. [Read more 🡒]