A loss to NFC North rival Green Bay on Thanksgiving put the Detroit Lions out of playoff seeding. A week later, the Lions bounced back with a crucial win over the Dallas Cowboys.
That win may have come at a cost on defense.
Safety Brian Branch tore his Achilles in Detroit’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ win over Dallas, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The injury happened in the fourth quarter as Branch was in coverage on Cowboys’ tight end Jake Ferguson.
Branch is the latest secondary player to miss time for the Lions. Cornerback Terrion Arnold underwent season-ending shoulder surgery earlier this week and fellow safety Kerby Joseph hasn’t played since Week 6 due to a knee injury.
Branch made his first Pro Bowl last season with a career-high four interceptions, one sack, 109 tackles and 16 passes defensed. He hadn’t tallied an interception yet through 12 games this year but had a career-best 2.5 sacks in addition to nine passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
With Branch out, the Lions brought veteran Daniel Thomas in to finish out the game at safety. Thomas spent the last five years in Jacksonville before coming to Detroit after roster cuts in August.
The Lions get a 10-day rest before another crucial game for their playoff hopes: a Week 15 road matchup against the NFC-West leading Los Angeles Rams.
When will Brian Branch return?
Given how late in the season this injury is, Branch is extremely unlikely to return to the field this season. He should be back in time for the 2026 season depending on how his surgery and recovery go.
Players have returned less than six months after surgery – running back Cam Akers did so in 2021 for the Rams. But others have taken closer to eight months, such as quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Branch will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2026. Because he was a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Lions do not have a fifth-year option to exercise and secure him for one more season.