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    Lions place S Branch (Achilles) on reserve/PUP

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    DET Defensive Back #32
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    Lions place S Brian Branch on the reserve/physically unable to perform list with an Achilles injury.

    Branch ruptured an Achilles tendon in Week 14 last year. He is still recovering. The Lions also placed C Cade Mays (wrist) on the injured reserve/designated for return list due to his summer injury. Both players will be eligible to return after missing four games.
'Go to war' with the Broncos against Chiefs
Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick preview Monday night's AFC West showdown between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.

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  • DET Center #64
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    The Lions sought to upgrade at center this offseason and went out and signed Mays to a three-year, $25 million contract. Now, the 27-year-old lineman is expected to be sidelined for the next 8-10 weeks after fracturing a small bone in his wrist, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Campbell said that the injury is not believed to be season-ending, but it’s still a major blow to the offensive line. Former second-round pick Juice Scruggs came over in the David Montgomery trade and has played center before, so he will presumably get the first crack at taking over in Mays’ absence.
  • DET Safety #31
    Just yesterday, Joseph implied via social media that he would avoid the physically unable to perform list. So much for that. Joseph dealt with a recurring knee issue for the entire 2025 season, which was first reported on at the end of July 2025, roughly three months after the Lions made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. Given Joseph’s post, one imagines he has a chance to resume practicing relatively soon, but only time will tell. Branch suffered an Achilles tendon rupture in Week 14 last year. As of June 13th, Lions coach Dan Campbell said there was no timetable for his return. The Lions also placed TE Tyler Conklin on the physically unable to perform list.
  • DET Defensive Back #32
    Campbell said that Branch hasn’t had any setbacks in his recovery from a torn Achilles, but wouldn’t put a timeline on the 24-year-old safety’s eventual return. Branch attended practice in a T-shirt and shorts on Thursday. Campbell jokingly set the timetable for Branch to return in December, just so the media would stop asking about it. Christian Izien and Chuck Clark continue to take the first-team safety reps for the Lions in practice with Branch and Kerby Joseph (knee) sidelined.
  • DET Safety #31
    Both of the Lions’ starting safeties, Joseph and Brian Branch (Achilles), are rehabbing significant injuries. While it would be great to get one or both of them back on the field this spring, Campbell does not want to hurry his injured stars back and risk re-injury. Late in April, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said both safeties are “trending in the right direction.” However, last we heard, Branch was not expected to be ready to play in Week 1. Joseph will likely sit out spring practices, but seemingly has a chance to participate in training camp. Stay tuned.
  • DET Defensive Back #32
    Branch suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 of last season. It was reported by The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy back in March that Branch isn’t expected to be ready by Week 1 of this upcoming season, but it’s an encouraging sign that Holmes likes how the star safety is trending. Regarding Joseph, the fifth-year safety appeared in just six games last season due to a knee injury and suffered setbacks in his recovery, resulting in a prolonged absence. Holmes said the team’s decision not to draft a safety ultimately had more to do with their board than the health of either safety, but he seems optimistic about their long-term availability for this upcoming season.
  • DET Defensive Back #32
    It’s not a major surprise given a Week 14 torn Achilles. Pouncy projects Thomas Harper as a stopgap starter while Branch recovers.
  • DET Cornerback #25
    The Titans traded McCreary to the Rams in late October last year. He spent the prior three-plus seasons with the Titans, who drafted him as a second-round pick in 2022. He primarily lined up as a perimeter cornerback during his rookie season before transitioning to a slot-heavy role after that. He logged just three perimeter snaps last year, while lining up over the slot 297 times and in the box 49 times. PFF credits him with one interception, one forced incompletion, 28 solo tackles, four quarterback pressures and one sack in 2025. Although Lions S Brian Branch contributes as a slot-coverage defender, the Lions lost starting slot CB Amik Robertson in free agency. McCreary is a candidate to earn the starting slot cornerback role this season.
  • DET Center #64
    A boost for Jahmyr Gibbs! Mays is a huge power-blocking 6-foot-6, 325-pound center and should help solidify a troubled interior line for the Lions. It allows them to leave Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge at guard and makes Juice Scruggs a depth piece.
  • DET Defensive Back #32
    The worst was confirmed on Friday, just hours after earlier reports said that the Lions feared an Achilles injury for Branch. The third-year safety will now miss the remainder of the season as he looks to undergo surgery and rehab to be ready in time for the start of next season. Branch appeared in 12 games for the Lions this season, totaling 75 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups. He will enter 2026 in the final year of his rookie contract.
  • DET Defensive Back #32
    Pelissero didn’t speculate on the severity of Branch’s Achilles injury, but said the star safety “will have further tests this morning.” We tend to know where things go from here, but we’ll let them play out and hope for the best. Branch was injured in the fourth quarter on a play that took place in the end zone and remained down for several minutes while being tended to by the training staff. He eventually made his way to the sideline with help and was later carted to the locker room. Branch has started all 12 games he’s appeared in this season for the Lions, totaling 75 tackles. 2.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups. Veteran Avonte Maddox is in line to replace Branch while for however long he is out.

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  • TEN Linebacker #33
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    Titans LB Cedric Gray (concussion) will not play in Week 1 against the Jets.

    Gray suffered a concussion over the weekend after being involved in an accident while driving an ultra-terrain vehicle. Gray is expected to be back on the field after he clears concussion protocol, but his absence creates a glaring hole in the middle of the Titans’ defense. Gray totaled 164 tackles and one sack last season. His absence could lead to an increased role for rookie Anthony Hill Jr. on Sunday.
  • CAR Running Back #25
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    Jonathon Brooks (groin) was seen practicing on Friday.

    We’ll have a better sense of Brooks’ Week 1 availability in a few hours when the Panthers release their final injury report for the week, but the third-year back logged limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday and is trending in the right direction for Sunday’s game against the Bears. If he’s active, Brooks is expected to split touches with Chuba Hubbard, which could put a hard cap on both players’ upside in the season-opener.
  • JAC Wide Receiver #11
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    Jaguars HC Liam Coen said Parker Washington will “absolutely” be the team’s punt returner to start the season.

    Coen also noted that Washington is “the guy right now,” suggesting that his role as the returner could change at some point in the year. Washington returned 25 punts for the Jaguars last season and racked up 341 return yards and two touchdowns on those returns. Coen said the Jaguars will hope to get Travis Hunter involved as the punt returner at some point, but Washington will start the season in the role. Washington profiles as a solid WR2 to start the fantasy season after going for 58-847-5 last year.
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    Commanders released OT D.J. Humphries.

    Humphries’ release comes just a few weeks after the Commanders signed him to bolster an offensive line that had recently lost Laremy Tunsil. The veteran tackle apparently failed to make much of an impression in his brief stint with the Commanders, although it’s possible this is a roster management decision, and at some point he re-signs with Washington’s practice squad with a chance to be elevated in future weeks.
  • NE Defensive Tackle #92
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    Patriots signed DT DaQuan Jones, formerly of the Bills, to a one-year contract.

    According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jones will receive $3.5 million in base salary with a chance to earn up to $6 million on his deal. The 34-year-old vet started in all 12 games he appeared in for the Bills last season, totaling 22 tackles, three TFLs, and three sacks while also forcing a fumble. Jones played under head coach Mike Vrabel from 2018 to 2020 and should provide immediate help up front for the Pats’ d-line.
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    Jets CB D’Angelo Ponds (calf) is doubtful for Week 1 against the Titans.

    The Jets have not released their final injury report, but this news comes from head coach Aaron Glenn, who spoke with the media Friday morning. Ponds was a limited participant in each of the team’s first two practices this week, but the belief is he hasn’t had enough time to be ready for the season opener. It doesn’t sound like the second-round rookie has suffered any setbacks in his recovery, so hopefully he’ll be on track to make his debut in Week 2 against the Packers. Glenn also said RB Kene Nwangwu (back) is doubtful while EDGE Joseph Ossai (foot) and WR Tim Patrick (groin) will be held out of Sunday’s game.
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    Jets HC Aaron Glenn said Jason Sanders will serve as the team’s kicker in Week 1 against the Titans.

    This is notable because Sanders is currently on the Jets’ practice squad while veteran kicker Blake Grupe is on the 53-man roster. Fantasy managers expecting Grupe to contribute to their Week 1 lineups will want to make sure they find a replacement. Sanders certainly makes for a viable option after he converted 37-of-41 field goal attempts last season while going 12-of-14 from distances of 50-plus yards.
  • ARI Running Back #4
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    ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reports “the expectation is that Jeremiyah Love will play Sunday against the Chargers.”

    Weinfuss received this information from a source familiar with the situation, but this news isn’t all that surprising. Love has logged back-to-back limited practices to start the week, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that “it looks like” Love will suit up in Week 1. The first-round rookie is expected to split touches with Tyler Allgeier, who was listed as the RB1 on the Cardinals’ unofficial depth chart earlier this week, but we would still expect Love to see enough touches to warrant starting as a mid- to low-end RB2 in his regular-season debut.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #19
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    Cowboys signed Ryan Flournoy to a one-year, $6 million contract extension.

    Flournoy is now under contract through the 2027 season. The 26-year-old receiver caught 40 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns last season, while finishing third among Cowboys receivers in routes run (273) and fourth on the team in targets. It was reported earlier this summer that he was seeing more snaps in the slot, but it’s hard to imagine Flournoy making enough of an impact to be fantasy-relevant as long as CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson are healthy.
  • LA Outside Linebacker #95
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    Myles Garrett said his goal ahead of Week 2’s game against the Giants is to “get healthy.”

    Coming off an underwhelming debut in which he failed to even record a tackle in Week 1’s loss against the 49ers, Garrett said he was “the worst version” of himself in Thursday’s game. The star pass rusher was dealing with a knee injury in the days leading up to the game, but was ultimately removed from the injury report on Wednesday. Speaking after the game, he said his knee didn’t feel 100 percent, but Garrett still managed to play on 40 snaps, per PFF. Unfortunately, he generated only three pressures and failed to get a hit on the quarterback. Hopefully, some extended time off before next Monday’s game against the Giants will be enough for Garrett to get right in the Rams’ official 2026 home debut.