Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been clear that he does not have a specific timeline for the return date for injured safety Brian Branch. In an effort to get the questions about the return to stop coming his way, Campbell decided to give a firm answer on when he expects Branch back. Campbell threw out the month of December, and said that any return before then would be considered a bonus.
In a way, you have to take Campbell with a grain of salt. He preceded the timeline of December by saying that he was throwing out a wide window so that the media would stop asking about timelines and whether he was on schedule. Campbell threw out the latest possible month in the regular season, so that the questions would stop until the season is nearly over. He might not actually think that December is the exact date.
However, for someone with an injury as Branch has, that is a fair timeline to put on it.
The Detroit Lions Do Not Expect Brian Branch Back Soon
GettyLions safety Brian Branch.
Branch did not tear his Achilles tendon until December of the 2025 season. So, while NFL players appear to be returning from injury faster than ever, this injury still has an 8-to-12 month timetable to return by most standards. So, August might be as early as he will return, and December is a realistic deadline for him to return.
It makes sense for the media to pester Campbell to see if he is closer to the eight-month range. Campbell said that Branch is right on schedule, but could not commit to the idea that he would be back by August for training camp. So, Campbell, throughout the longer end of the timeline, ensured that Branch could come back at any point during the season, and he would be ahead of their expectations.
It is a good way to protect Branch and not force him to come back any sooner to hit a timetable that was set too optimistically. Now, if he is not in training camp or starts the season on the Injured Reserve, Campbell will say it was expected.
The Lions Secondary Will See Shake Ups in 2026
So, there is a chance that Branch can return as early as the first couple of weeks, and there is just as good a chance that he misses the entire season right now. With that in mind, the Lions need to be prepared for the worst.
That is why they are leaning into their new look safety room. The Lions signed Christian Izien and Chuck Clark this offseason. Both are viewed as depth pieces, but both have track records of starting in the NFL, as recently as last season. Between those two and Avonte Maddox, who is returning to the room, the Lions feel that they can internally handle the loss of Branch.
Still, they would like to get Branch back as soon as possible. Unfortunately for Lions fans, there might not be many updates until he hits a practice field.
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