Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown on ankle injury recovery
Amon-Ra St. Brown said he started feeling better two days before the Detroit Lions’ game against the Cowboys, after injuring his ankle Thanksgiving.
When Brian Branch left Thursday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter, the Detroit Lions announced he had an ankle injury.
According to NFL Network, the diagnosis could be much worse.
Branch left Ford Field in a walking boot and on crutches after the Lions‘ 44-30 win over the Cowboys with what NFL Network reported Friday, Dec. 5, was an Achilles injury.
Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged after the game he feared Branch, who limped gingerly off the field under his own power after breaking up a pass in the end zone with just under 4 minutes to play, suffered a long-term injury.
Branch was taken to the locker room by medical cart and did not talk to reporters after the game. NFL Network did not specify the severity of Branch’s injury.
“I mean, yeah. He didn’t finish the game,” Campbell said. “But there again, I’ll know more tomorrow.”
If Branch suffered a torn Achilles, it would be a blow not just to the Lions’ playoff chances this year but to their hopes of winning a Super Bowl in the 2026 season as well.
A second-round pick out of Alabama in 2023, Branch has evolved into one of the NFL’s best safeties and one of the Lions’ most versatile defenders. He ranks third on the team with 75 tackles, is second with nine pass breakups, has 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, recovered a fumble Thursday and his ability to cover receivers and tight ends gives coordinator Kelvin Sheppard flexibility on defense.
Serious Achilles injuries can take 10 months to a year to heal, which would put Branch, who’s eligible for a contact extension this offseason, in jeopardy of missing a good chunk of next season.
“I’m hoping he’ll be fine and I’m praying he’ll be fine, but yeah, that would hurt,” cornerback D.J. Reed told the Free Press after the game when asked about the possibility of losing Branch for extended time. “But like I said, I’m hopeful that he’ll be fine, I’m praying that he’ll be fine and we just keep rolling. Somehow, some way we just keep fighting.”
The Lions (8-5) have dealt with a slew of injuries in their secondary this season and finished Thursday’s game with their fourth and fifth safeties, Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas, on the field.
Pro Bowl safety Kerby Joseph has not played in two months and there are long-term concerns about his health because of a chronic knee injury, but returned to practice on a limited basis last week and could play next week against the Los Angeles Rams. Joseph’s replacement, Thomas Harper, suffered a brain injury on the Lions’ second defensive play Thursday.
Starting cornerback Terrion Arnold is out for the season with a shoulder injury, fellow starter D.J. Reed missed six games earlier this year with a strained hamstring and top backup Ennis Rakestraw suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in training camp.
The Lions are currently the first team out of the playoffs in the NFC and may need to win three of their final four games to make the postseason for the third straight year. After visiting the Rams next week, they close the season with games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.