Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch, who was carted to the locker room in the waning moments of a 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, has a torn Achilles that will end his season, The Detroit News has learned.

With 3:50 left in the fourth quarter, Branch successfully defended a third-down throw to tight end Jake Ferguson and came down awkwardly on his left foot. He remained on the ground for several minutes before hobbling to the sideline, stepping onto the cart, and going back to the locker room, where he was spotted with a walking boot and crutches after the game. He was questionable entering the game with toe and ankle injuries.

ESPN first reported the severity of Branch’s injury on Friday morning.

Branch, a 2024 Pro Bowler, is the latest member of Detroit’s secondary to pick up a serious injury. Cornerback Terrion Arnold was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Monday with a shoulder injury. Safety Kerby Joseph has now missed seven games with a knee injury that’s bothered him since training camp. The Lions also lost Thomas Harper in the first quarter of Thursday night’s win due to a concussion.

It’s also a brutal blow personally for Branch, who will be entering a contract year in 2026. Achilles recoveries can take anywhere from six months to a year, meaning there’s a possibility he misses a significant portion of next season. The Lions can extend Branch, along with other 2023 draftees — including linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs — in March.

The silver lining is that recent advances in medical technology have shortened the typical Achilles recovery time, depending on how the injury is treated. A new “SpeedBridge” procedure has been known to cut recovery time down to around six months, if everything goes well.

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers returned from a torn Achilles in just under six months during the 2021 season, using the “SpeedBridge” procedure, which Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers underwent when he suffered a torn Achilles in 2023 as a member of the New York Jets. Rodgers was insistent that he could have come back toward the end of the season had New York still been in the playoff picture.

If Harper and Joseph are also forced to miss next week’s game against the Rams, expect a heavy dose of Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas. Detroit also has Erick Hallett II and Loren Strickland on the practice squad; both players have game experience this season, and it wouldn’t be surprising if either of them jumped Thomas on the depth chart. Maddox played a season-high 80 defensive snaps on Thursday night and was the Lions’ highest-graded defender, per Pro Football Focus.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi