The Detroit Lions will open the 2026 season without Brian Branch.

According to Dave Birkett, the Lions are placing Branch on the Reserve/PUP list, meaning the standout defensive back will be required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

Kerby Joseph will also begin the season on PUP, as was reported earlier Sunday. The new development is confirmation that Branch will join him.

Lions Will Be Without Branch in September

Branch has spent the offseason working his way back from a torn Achilles and opened training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Detroit remained hopeful earlier this summer that he could potentially return before the season, but that window has now closed.

The Lions made it clear when camp began that any player remaining on PUP through final cuts would be unavailable for at least four regular-season games.

That means Branch will miss Detroit’s first four games against the New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.

Detroit could get him back beginning in Week 5, but that will obviously depend on how his recovery progresses.

The situation surrounding Branch and Joseph had become one of the Lions’ biggest questions entering cutdown day, which we recently examined in our latest injury update on Detroit’s starting safeties. Branch’s PUP designation was also factored into our final 53-man roster projection.

Detroit got one final look at its healthy secondary during Saturday’s 25-16 preseason victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

There is really only one positive here: Detroit is not rushing Branch back from a significant injury.

But there is no sugarcoating the football impact. The Lions will begin a season with serious expectations without both of their starting safeties.

That is a tough way to start September.