Brian Branch is back practicing with the Detroit Lions, and while it'll still be a few weeks before he plays in games – and maybe longer before he returns to the form he showed his first two NFL seasons – Lions coach Dan Campbell expects the Pro Bowl safety to make an immediate impact in the Lions' leaky secondary.
"Look, we know there’s going to be a little bit of kicking the rust off just to get back into all of those, back to the player that he was," Campbell said. "It’ll take a minute. However, he’s an instinctive, aware player and he is a violent player. And so he’s got a knack for the football and his production, even if it’s not what it was in the immediate, as he grows back to that will have an impact, I believe."
Branch was one of the
NFL's premier playmaking safeties his first two NFL seasons, when he had seven interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
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He made the Pro Bowl in 2024 and was trending toward another selection last year when he tore the Achilles tendon in his right leg in a Week 14 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Beyond his playmaking ability, Campbell said Branch will bring a calming presence to a Lions secondary that's dealt with regular communication errors and coverage breakdowns in the season's first four weeks.
The Lions (2-2) rank last in the NFL in pass defense at 304 yards per game and have given up the second most points in the league.
"And then with that, then it helps the guys around him," Campbell said. "It makes the guys next to him better because this guy’ll be where he’s supposed to be, he’ll be able to make some plays and alleviate a little stress [on] whether it’s the other safety, the corner, Jack [Campbell], some of those things."
The Lions have 21 days to activate Branch and center Cade Mays, who Campbell said also was returning to practice Wednesday, Oct. 7, to their 53-man roster or keep them on the physically unable to perform list and injured reserve, respectively, the rest of the season.
Mays broke his wrist in training camp.
Branch is not expected to play in this week's game against the Arizona Cardinals and the Lions have a bye next week. He could make his season debut in one of the Lions' two division games immediately after the bye, Oct. 25 against the Green Bay Packers or Nov. 1 against the Minnesota Vikings.
"We’ve been as smart as we can be with that, making sure that he is physically ready to [practice]," Campbell said. "And I don’t want to say conservative, but yet let’s make sure, and make sure, and make sure. That’s Step 1, and then look, he’s been in meetings, he’s able to watch walk-through, he can’t participate up until this point, so he’s stayed in it mentally but it’s not the same as taking reps.
"But I think that’s the big thing is, yes, he’s been there mentally but so much of it has been let’s focus on the rehab, the rehabilitation, and making sure that we’re all in there, because if we don’t get that right, the rest of it doesn’t matter. And I feel really good about both of those guys. ... I feel like those guys are prepared."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dan Campbell: 'It'll take a minute' for Brian Branch to knock off rust
