The Detroit Lions opened their practice week Wednesday for Sunday’s game on the road against the Arizona Cardinals and released their first injury report of Week 5.
Safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays returned to the practice field after missing the first four games of the season. Branch suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 last season against the Cowboys and has been on physically unable to perform reserve since training camp.
Mays underwent wrist surgery after injuring his wrist during training camp and opened the season on injured reserve.
"Look, we know there's going to be a little bit of kicking the rust off just to get back to the player that he was," Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Wednesday. "It'll take a minute. However,
he's an instinctive, aware player and he's a violent player. He's got a knack for the football.
"It helps the guys around him. It makes the guys next to him better because this guy will be where he's supposed to be. He'll be able to make some plays and alleviate a little stress and whether it's the other safety, the corner, (linebacker) Jack (Campbell), some of those things."
"It was very fun," Branch said. "I missed being back out there. It's been a long time coming. What 10 months? There's nothing like being back out there, especially with this group of guys. Just getting back in the groove of things. I just loved being back out there. I love this game and you can't take this game for granted. That's (what this) taught me during this time off. You can't take nothing for granted.”
With safety Kerby Joseph also on PUP and Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox on injured reserve, Chuck Clark and Christian Izien have carried the load in the back end.
As for Mays, pass game specialist David Shaw said, "I'm excited to get him back because we think he has a chance to be very, very good and is a good fit for us. As much as anything, it adds depth to our offensive line, which we've been banged up the last couple of games. Getting him back and whenever he's ready to get back on the field (on game days) is great. But Juice (Scruggs) has played well for us as well and one thing I know for sure is if there's any place you need depth it's the offensive line."
The full details of the Lions' Wednesday injury report are below. Starters are noted with an asterisk.
Lions Wednesday injury report
Did not participate
- G Ben Bartch (foot)
- *DT Tyleik Williams (foot)
- *CB Rock Ya-Sin (hamstring)
Limited participation
- *S Brian Branch (Achilles/practicing while on reserve/PUP)
- *C Cade Mays (wrist/practicing while on IR)
- *DE D.J. Wonnum (back)
Cardinals Wednesday injury report
Did not participate
- *RG Isaiah Adams (ankle)
- *S Budda Baker (not injury related/rest)
- LB Jordan Burch (not injury related/personal)
- *LG Isaac Seumalo (not injury related/rest)
- *OLB Josh Sweat (not injury related/rest/groin)
- *S Andrew Wingard (knee)
Limited participation
- *RB Jeremiyah Love (ankle)
- S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (back)
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Detroit Lions injury report: Brian Branch returns to practice
