The Detroit Lions offense started slow against the Buffalo Bills on the NFL’s 2026 debut of Thursday Night Football, while the defense never really got going at all.
Detroit fell to the Bills during the grand opening of Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York, surrendering 41 points to quarterback Josh Allen and company. Allen shredded the Lions to the tune of 248 passing yards and three TDs along with 69 rushing yards and another two scores.
However, the Lions and their fans had reason for optimism following the game regarding a couple of injured stars.
“After that breakdown on the backend … with the new information the Lions have, they do anticipate at least one of their safeties (Brian Branch Achilles & Kerby Joseph knee) could be back much sooner than they originally anticipated,” James Palmer of NFL on Prime reported via X on September 17.
Both Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph Currently on Injured Reserve List
Both Branch and Joseph are currently residing on the injured reserve list (IR), where the Lions place the two Pro Bowl safeties ahead of Week 1.
Based on NFL rules, each player will remain sidelined with that IR designation through at least the first four games of the season. At that point, a window opens for either, or both, to return.
Branch’s Achilles tear occurred on December 4 of last season during a game against the Dallas Cowboys. The team’s Week 5 contest this season falls on October 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, which will be exactly 10 months and one week since the initial injury.
The typical recovery time for a football player returning from an Achilles tear is between nine and 12 months, and Branch will be just about smack dab in the middle of that return window once he becomes eligible to come off of IR.
Lions Prime Candidates to Trade for Star Cornerback Ahead of NFL Deadline
The majority of speculation from league insiders is that Branch might be back sooner than Joseph given that his injury, while incredibly severe, was more clear cut and straightforward in nature.
Joseph, on the other hand, is dealing with a lingering knee issue that may be chronic and plague him for the remainder of his career. He missed 11 games last season after earning first-team All-Pro honors the year before.
The loss of both Joseph and Branch has proven devastating for the Lions’ secondary, as well as the defense in its entirety against both the pass and run — robbing the unit of physicality, explosive playmaking and turnover potential.
Detroit also cut ties with cornerback Terrion Arnold, a first-round pick in 2024, after a Florida court charged him with four counts of armed robbery and four counts of kidnapping that could result in Arnold’s life imprisonment if convicted on all charges.
As such, the Lions are candidates to trade for a defensive back ahead of the league’s November 10 deadline. A couple of players floating around in those trade rumors are CB Joey Porter Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who is currently embroiled in a contract dispute, as well as Cleveland Browns starting cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell.
Lions Expect Good News on Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph: Report