It’s been a long wait, Detroit — but the comeback is finally here. Lions safety Brian Branch hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles last December in a win over the Dallas Cowboys. More than 10 months on the sideline. That’s a long time for a city that loves its football.
That wait ends Sunday. Branch has now been activated and is expected to make his season debut against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field — his first game action in more than 10 months. There’s no better stage to come back on than a division showdown at home, in front of the city that never stopped believing in him.
And he ain’t coming back to watch. A Pro Bowler in 2024, Branch steps into an immediate starting role in a Lions secondary that has struggled, starting four different safeties this year. That’s how much this team needs him — and how much faith they have in what he brings.
Coach Dan Campbell is keeping it honest about the workload: they’d be “asking a lot” to expect a full 70-play workload in his return, “but we do feel like he can handle quite a bit here,” with his snap count managed carefully as he knocks off the rust. The good news keeps coming, too — center Cade Mays is also expected back this week from a broken wrist and will start at center. The squad is getting whole again at exactly the right time.
Pull up: Lions vs Packers — Sunday Oct 25, 4:25 PM ET, Ford Field (on FOX).
Read the full story: Detroit Free Press
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