In his Monday, September 21 press conference, Dan Campbell offered some big injury updates on members of the decimated safety room. Here are some of his quotes, along with my read-between-the-lines analysis.
🔴Bad news or high concern
🟡Uncertain or moderately concerning
🟢Good news or low concern
🔴 Avonte Maddox - Left foot surgery
He’ll require surgery, looks like he’ll be out for the season.
Maddox will go on IR. While it sounds like there is no chance he’ll be back this season, the IR rules do not require the team to designate who is going to return right away. So technically, he is eligible to return late this season or playoffs if he is somehow ready.
We don’t know the diagnosis yet for Maddox, but my concern for a severe Lisfranc is increased with this news. See my postgame report for my initial reactions on Maddox’s foot injury…
With the loss of Maddox, the Lions signed 32-year-old Jalen Mills to the practice squad today. He played three games for the Lions in 2025.
🟡 Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph PUP status
Both are eligible to open their 21-day practice window right now, and could play as soon as Week 5.
I don’t see it for either one. Branch has a chance to be back sooner than Kerby, but it won’t be this week.
For Joseph, the news was expected.
For Branch, the news is slightly disappointing, but not a surprise nor necessarily a sign of a setback. It pushes his earliest RTP (return-to-play in game) date to probably October 25, Week 7 (after the bye). A November return is increasing in likelihood.
George Kittle’s return from an Achilles in about eight months is impressive and also an anomaly. The details of the injury may be the reason. Here are relevant excerpts from this ESPN article at the time of injury:
It was the "best-case scenario" because of where the tear occurred and how clean it was.
"Surgery went really, really good," Kittle said. "[ElAttrache] said best-case scenario when you tear an Achilles is that you tear it up high by your soleus, which is what I did. I had a clean tear. They didn't have to drill into my heel. And where the repair was there's more blood flow. And so it takes some time off of the recovery time... It's not as bad as other ones."
It sounds like Kittle’s tear may be more muscle related, and less tendon related.
Branch’s expected RTP of 10-11 months is much more typical for an Achilles. In addition, Branch plays a much more demanding position as a coverage defender, who needs to backpedal constantly and react instantly to cover the opponent. An offensive player is generally able to compensate better for disabilities, which could shave time off the RTP.
Here is my complete initial analysis of Branch’s Achilles injury…
Should the Lions have done more this offseason at the safety position?
The Lions had a lot of major holes this past offseason, which they used premium resources to fill in Cade Mays (C), Blake Miller (OT), and Derrick Moore (EDGE). Thus, they may have run out of resources to adequately address safety.
The Lions may be regretting giving up those two 3rd-round picks in the Isaac TeSlaa trade, as you can get a playable starting safety in the 3rd round. Brad Holmes admitted he was in the market for a safety in his post-draft press conference.
Here were safeties taken in the 2026 NFL 3rd round and before the Lions pick of Jimmy Rolder in the 4th round (#118).
AJ Haulcy at #78
Jakobe Thomas at #98
Jadon Canady at #109
The Lions did have the opportunity to draft safety Genesis Smith who went #131. He played 57% (36 total) defensive snaps for the Chargers yesterday and made some nice plays from what I saw.
🔴 Kerby Joseph knee status
There’s nothing that I’m going to say is going to make anybody feel better. We were strengthening the knee. It wasn’t a setback, but there was a little time there when we weren’t able to do everything we needed to do. So now we’re back at it.
Until we can get the knee to a certain point to where it feels strong, as strong as we can possibly get it and he feels comfortable, we’re not going to put him out there, until he’s ready.
Dan Campbell gave us a lot to break down here.