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Brian Branch #32 of the Detroit Lions reacts after injury during the game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field on September 14, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

As the injuries piled up throughout the 2025 season for the Detroit Lions, the safety Brian Brach was one of the key names caught in that storm. He tore his Achilles tendon in the Week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys, ending the previous campaign prematurely. It has been months since the injury, and his return timeline is still unclear, with the safety skipping recent OTAs and mini-camp.

The franchise is still keeping Branch’s return timeline under wraps, but the Lions beat writer and analyst, Mike Payton, recently shared when the fans could see the 24-year-old back on the gridiron.

“I think the Branch and Joseph are on the field week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. It all comes to how bad the Achilles tear is that Brian Branch had,” Payton told recently on A to Z Sports. “There are some procedures depending on the tear. If he had a partialish Achilles tear, he could get what’s called a speed bridge procedure, which is kind of like what Cam Akers had, and with something like that, you can return within 5 to 7 months from a torn Achilles. So there is a very good chance he is at training camp and starting Week 1.”

While it has been seven months since his injury, he has made significant progress through rehab. The 2024 Pro Bowler has been consistently taking physical therapy while doing light jogging and basic on-field movements, but he has refrained from football drills, cutting, and jumping. While Payton remains optimistic about Branch’s return by Week 1, the Lions coach, Dan Campbell, has a contrasting opinion.

Dan Campbell Refuses to Put an Exact Timeline on Brian Branch’s Return

During a Lions press conference on June 11, head coach Dan Campbell was asked when the star safety would return from injury. However, he refused to give an exact timeline.

“I’m going to just go ahead and widen the window so we don’t have to talk about it anymore. Let’s just go ahead and say December, then anything before that is a bonus.” said Campbell.

GettyLions’ head coach Dan Campbell

He also added that there is no setback in Brach’s recovery process, while the 24-year-old is putting in the work this offseason. Due to his age and swift recovery, he may be back in weeks before December. Several NFL players have managed to get back on the field well before the standard nine-to-twelve-month recovery window.

Past Achilles Recoveries Could Favor Brian Branch’s Week 1 Return

As Mike Payton mentioned, the former Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers had a similar Achilles tendon injury, but he returned to the field in less than six months in the 2021 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, tore his Achilles but was cleared within just 11 weeks, becoming the brightest example of the Arthrex SpeedBridge procedure— the exact procedure helping build confidence for Brian Branch’s return by Week 1.

GettySafety Brian Branch of the Detroit Lions.

In the 2023 season, then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had an Achilles tear, and he took just seven months to be back in action, participating in the OTAs of May 2024. With the Lions’ training camp only a month away, Brian Branch’s participation would make his week 1 regular-season comeback realistic.