Last year, it was the defensive line. This year, it’s Form Two.
During the fourth quarter of the Detroit Lions’ 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, December 4, Brian Branch limped off the field with an ankle injury and had to be taken to the locker room.
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After the game, Branch was wearing a walking shoe and using a cane, and Lions coach Dan Campbell said he would learn more about the severity of Branch’s injury Friday.
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) leaps to catch the ball during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field in Detroit, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.
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“I mean, yeah. He didn’t finish the game,” Campbell said when asked if he was concerned about Branch’s long-term injury. “But I’ll know more tomorrow.”
Branch was injured while defending a pass to Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson in the end zone with less than four minutes left in the game. He remained on the ground for a few minutes under the care of his trainers, then walked gingerly to the sideline, where a medical van took him to the locker room.
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The Lions have lost talent in the secondary this year and entered Thursday’s game without two starting defensive backs.
Pro Bowl safety Kobe Joseph has been out for more than two months with a knee injury but could return next week against the Los Angeles Rams, and second-year cornerback Terion Arnold is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Starting cornerback DJ Reed also went on injured reserve this season with a hamstring injury, while top backup Ennis Rakestraw suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in training camp.
The Lions also lost safety Thomas Harper to a brain injury on Thursday’s second defensive snap. Harper has started the past seven games.
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Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas finished Thursday’s game at safety for the Lions.
“I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what happened, but BB is a great player and he’s a tough guy to replace,” cornerback Amik Robertson said. “But the way this team was built, I give a lot of props to the organization, the general manager, man, because they built this team the right way. They built this team with the next guy’s mentality, the next guy’s mentality, so I think the guys that came in did a great job.”
Carlos Monarez contributed to this report.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: dbirkett@freepress.com. follow him blue sky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Brian Branch injury update: Detroit Lions S in walking boot
