Lions 'still have confidence' Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch will return
General manager Brad Holmes on Wednesday, Sept. 2, said the Lions "still have confidence" both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch will return to the field.
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are both currently on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list for the upcoming 2026 season, which means they will miss the first four games. However, the Lions still have hope that they can return, though they cannot provide an exact timeline. General manager Brad Holmes stated that both players are here and working hard to recover from their respective injuries.
Joseph has been dealing with a knee injury since last summer and missed time in training camp, making only six appearances for the Lions in 2025, his last being a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on October 12. Branch, on the other hand, tore his Achilles tendon against the Dallas Cowboys on December 4. Lions coach Dan Campbell had previously suggested that Branch could start practicing late August or early September, and Joseph was also on the Branch's rehabilitation plan if everything went well.
Both players will be unable to play in a game until Detroit's Week 5 match against the Arizona Cardinals on October 11, but they could return to practice as early as September 18, the day after the Lions' Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills. The Lions have opted to start Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox at safety for the season, with Thomas Harper providing depth.
Aamaris Brown, a versatile defensive back who joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent, is currently on the practice squad.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
