Lions Top 10 Injury News of 2025: #3 Brian Branch Achilles

A star safety is lost late in the season

The Lions’ two stellar 2nd-round picks from 2023 land back-to-back in the Top 10 Injury News of the 2025 Season. Previously was Sam LaPorta’s herniated disc at #4. Now at #3 is Brian Branch’s Achilles rupture which dealt a death blow to an already depleted secondary.

For the in-depth timeline and analysis including recovery optimism, visit Brian Branch Achilles Injury Analysis & Outlook.

Here is a quick recap of Branch’s injury:

The Injury - Right Achilles rupture

December 4, 2025:

The right calf muscle visibly pops when the Achilles ruptures. The mechanism of injury may have been exacerbated by getting slightly rolled up on.

It’s also very possible that the Achilles was compromised prior to this event. Branch had already been banged-up a lot during the season with leg, toe, and ankle issues. The Achilles rupture may have been a culmination of many injuries, including one earlier in that fateful game...

2025 Season Summary

Branch ended up missing the final four games of the season due to the Achilles. His presence was sorely missed as the Lions went 1-3 in those final games.

He also missed an earlier game for a suspension. In the 12 games he played, Branch logged zero interceptions, nine PBU, one forced fumble, and 75 total tackles.

2026 Offseason

Branch has been notably keeping a low-profile on social media during the offseason. This promo video from June is as much as we’ve seen him do so far…

The hope is that we would have already seen him do sprinting and jumping rehab activities, but there has been no evidence of that yet.

2026 Season Outlook

My initial estimate for return-to-play was October or November, which would have aligned with a 10-11 month recovery. There was a chance of an early return for the start of the season, but those hopes appear to be faded.

The Lions’ bye is on October 18 which could be a date to watch. While many espouse the philosophy of waiting until after the bye to return, I prefer the opposite. Assuming the player is reasonably ready, I favor a return on the week before the bye, which allows for a two-week recovery period after the initial return to action.

Regardless of if it’s before or after the bye, a return sometime in October should be viewed as a success and allow him to play most of the season.

Contract Extension Considerations

Branch is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract. He turns 25 in October.

This offseason, Dan Campbell implied that the team wanted to see recovery before handing out expensive extensions. With the Lions’ rash of injury and reliability issues the past two seasons, the fiscal conservatism makes sense. Thus, don’t expect an extension for Branch until late season, if at all this year.

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At #4 was the other Lions’ 2nd-round pick in 2023…