Even before the 2026 NFL season kicks off, the Detroit Lions are dealing with significant injury concerns. Injuries to Isiah Pacheco and Cade Mays give the Lions some level of concern on the offensive side of the ball, but the real worry is in the defensive backfield.
For anyone who has been following the Detroit Lions offseason, this is hardly surprising. Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch have been dealing with injuries all year. The problem is that we still don't have a good idea of when the two veteran defenders will be back on the field.
On Wednesday, GM Brad Holmes spoke to the media in his first remarks after the roster cutdown. He answered plenty of questions about various aspects of the Lions roster. Naturally, the statuses of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph came up. His response didn't make Lions fans feel any better about their secondary situation.
Still no timetable for the returns of Joseph and Branch
Holmes said that he still has confidence that both players will be back, but added that he couldn't give an exact timeline. According to ESPN's Eric Woodyard, Holmes then added, "But, yeah, they're both here, they're rehabbing, they're working hard, just can't offer a timeline but yeah, the hope is to have both of them back soon."
Branch and Joseph were placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Sunday. This means that they will miss at least the first four games of the season. The hope was that they could return in the Week 5 clash against the Arizona Cardinals, but Holmes' remarks don't paint a particularly optimistic picture.
Branch tore his Achilles tendon in Week 14 and had surgery in early December. It has been nine months since the surgery, putting him on track.
Joseph's injury is the more concerning one. He was dealing with a knee injury that was deemed not to be serious, but he couldn't suit up for the final 11 games. He was eventually placed on injured reserve in December.
The 25-year-old safety is considered to have a chronic knee injury. The team hasn't shared a lot of details about his rehab process other than the fact that he hasn't experienced any setbacks. Missing the entirety of training camp, however, wasn't a part of the plan. This makes it difficult to feel too optimistic about when Joseph can return to practice and eventually to the field.
Despite these injuries, the Lions refused to make a significant addition to the safety room. They will begin the season with Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox as their starting safeties. Thomas Harper is the only other safety listed on the 53-man roster, but they can always move someone else from the final roster or the practice squad to safety if needed.
Given the concerns in the cornerback room as well, the Lions' defensive backfield is certainly not their strong suit. Even if we assume that Joseph and Branch will return sooner rather than later, this will be a problem in the first four weeks of the season, at the very least. Let's hope it doesn't extend beyond that.
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