Brian Branch’s First Statements Following Achilles Return

Including his comment on Kerby Joseph’s status

Yesterday, Brian Branch made his first comments to media after returning to practice from his Achilles rupture. The full video is here on the Detroit Lions YouTube channel…

Branch spoke about his Achilles recovery and even answered a question about Kerby Joseph. Here are his quotes along with my impressions.

How hard was it to be patient and not come back too early?

“I just want to thank them [Lions] for not putting me in that position. They looking out for me, not just for right now, but the long term. I just want to thank them for my career.“

Branch gives credit to the Lions for being patient and looking out for his long-term health. The Lions’ medical staff typically has been cautious and prudent over the years as far as returning from injuries.

Some have questioned how Lions’ medical handled Kerby Joseph last year. From a medical perspective, I have no big issue with how Joseph was handled, and Branch’s response here supports my impression that Lions’ medical generally is conservative.

How long to get the rust off?

“I’m getting the rust off right now in practice, so I feel good. When I had surgery on my toe two years ago, coming back I was just in my head. But this time I ain’t in my head, I’m ready to go.”

As I wrote yesterday, this was the first detail I’ve seen of what happened during his 2024 offseason, when he was seen using a knee scooter for his left leg.

Branch acknowledges there were mental hurdles in the past with the left toe surgery, and feels like he’s in a much better state now with the Achilles. However, despite his bravado, there will still be mental hurdles to overcome as he regains confidence in his Achilles. Thus, his performance in his early games may be affected and should not be too harshly judged.

What hurdles are ahead?

“Just catching my wind, that’s the only hurdle. And getting contact with each other. Some more 1-on-1s.”

Since this is a lower-body injury, conditioning work has been limited. Fatigue will likely be an issue when he returns to game action. Given Branch’s history of frequent cramping, the Lions may want to ease him back into the lineup until his conditioning improves.

Regarding Kerby Joseph?

“We ain’t quitting man. We’ve been in this thing together for what 10 months man… He going to be aight. He going to be back. We going to be back.“

Some have used Branch’s quote to corroborate optimism for Joseph. Here are three things to consider:

1. Lions players are instructed by the team not to talk about their own injuries - a detail divulged to me directly by a player’s agent. So there is no way a player is going to be forthcoming and honest when talking about somebody else’s injuries… nor should they be. There is no chance a player will express anything but general positivity and optimism when discussing another player’s health.

2. Their timelines are not the same. Branch is 10 months post-injury (December 4) and already back to practice. Joseph is at 12 months since his last game (October 12), and at least 14 months since the knee issue started (July 2025)… and is still not back to practice.

3. A “cleaned-up” printed quote can give a much different impression than what you see on video. Body language, voice inflections, averted eyes, touching the face, stuttering, and other subtle cues are all key in reading between the lines. In my opinion, there is much less confidence and assurance when you watch Branch’s actual response compared to the printed quote. Here is the clip so you can decide for yourself…

The bottom line here is that Branch’s statement does not change my outlook - nor should it change yours - on Kerby Joseph.

Kelvin Sheppard on Brian Branch’s Availability

Today, the Lions defensive coordinator made some comments about Branch’s availability. The video is available on Lions YouTube.

“If we were playing tonight, it would be realistic. It literally looks like he hadn’t been out. So it’s just a matter of I’m going to lean on… our medical staff here.”

If Branch and the medical team were targeting a return this Sunday, he would have opened his practice window last week, or the week before. He was eligible to open his window after Week 2.

So while it’s nice to hear that Branch looks great in practice, it would defy logic to see him playing in a game this Sunday. Expect him back after the bye on October 25.

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For the full Brian Branch Achilles injury timeline and videos…

For my latest Q & A on Kerby Joseph’s knee…