EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDETROIT -- Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was growing tired of hearing his star defensive back Brian Branch plead his case for when he should return to the field. After a 10-month absence, Branch is finally in position to receive his wish this week.As the Lions prepare to host the Green Bay Packers in their first NFC North battle of the 2026 season, both Branch and center Cade Mays are expected to suit up."Barring anything negatively happening between now and the game, we plan on playing both of those guys," Campbell said of Branch and Mays on Monday.The Lions officially opened the 21-day practice windows for Branch (Achilles) and Mays (wrist) ahead of the bye week on Oct. 7.Although the defense was struggling, and Branch was pressing the issue, Campbell and the medical staff refused to rush him back into action until they felt he was fully ready."I told Dan like, 'I'm starving' since I got injured," Branch said. "Just been day by day. Just been working, just been grinding. Showing up at 7 a.m."Branch was placed on the Reserve/PUP list where he was designated to miss at least the first four games of the season after suffering a season-ending achilles injury in 2025 that sidelined him throughout training camp and the preseason.He initially suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 during the fourth quarter of the Lions' 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys and had to be carted off the field. He underwent surgery last December and his recovery period was projected to take at least eight to 12 months.Even with him being back, the Lions will try to remain conservative with his workload on Sunday after being away for so long."Yeah, I think that'd be asking a lot to say he's going to play 70 plays, but we do feel like he can handle quite a bit here and we're going to push him in practice here early," Campbell said.Detroit will benefit from Branch's presence after the defense gave up at least 30 points in three of its first four games.Although the unit enjoyed a much better performance against Arizona on Oct. 11, the biggest struggles have been in the secondary where they've given up a league-high 1,487 passing yards. Branch feels he's "ready to go" after shaking off the rust during practice and remains confident he can help."I just know what these group of guys are made up of and we all want the same thing. We all got the same goal," Branch said. "And we know that we've been shooting ourselves in the foot and shoot, we go hard each and every day ... if you've got hard work, you're going to overcome a lot of things."Branch, 24, is a one-time Pro Bowler who was drafted by the Lions in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft out of Alabama. He is also eligible for a contract extension while playing on the final season of his rookie deal.In 2025, Branch started in all 12 appearances, logging 75 tackles, nine passes defended and five quarterback hits as one of the team's top defenders. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is also itching to work Branch back into the rotation."Listen, I don't even know the word for it. I don't. But I mean, how many positions can he play and how fast?" Sheppard said. "I mean, he's a dynamic player. That is an elite player in this league, which we all know, guys. I'm not telling you nothing you don't know. That is an elite player in this league. But we also got to do right by the player."Mays suffered his wrist injury during training camp and was placed on the injured reserve list. He was projected to miss 8-10 weeks as he's now on track to re-enter the mix. Mays was acquired during the offseason to help the offensive line after spending his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Campbell this week confirmed that Mays will likely start at center against the Packers although veteran OL Juice Scruggs has played well in his absence. Mays went through practice with quality reps and Campbell feels comfortable with bringing him back in that starting role, while Scruggs will swing between center and guard."We would like to just rip this band-aid off of Cade," Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket on Wednesday morning. "I thought he had some good work yesterday. I thought he looked pretty good."At 3-2, Campbell feels the returns have the Lions in good shape as they enter their first divisional matchup this season.Detroit went 2-4 against NFC North opponents last season after going 15-3 from 2022-24, which was tied with the Chiefs for the best intra-division record in the NFL, per ESPN Research."I mean, we already kind of have a range of what we're looking at for him and for Cade (Mays) a little bit," Campbell said. "We're still back and forth on what do we do with him? Do we work he and Juice (Scruggs) in and out? In the center position, that's where it's a little different than a guard. That's somebody that's constantly touching the football."
