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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.
Are Browns competitors or contenders now 3-1?
Dan and the Danettes debate if the Cleveland Browns are "competitors or contenders" after their Week 4 win and discuss the heated exchange between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy.

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  • DET Defensive Back #32
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    Campbell didn’t say when he expects Branch to return, but said the fourth-year safety “looks really good” as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles he suffered in Week 14 last season. The Lions haven’t opened Branch’s 21-day window for return, which will be the first sign that he’s nearing a comeback. Branch totaled 75 tackles, five TFLs, and 2.5 sacks for the Lions in 12 games last season and will be a welcome addition to a secondary that has allowed the most passing yards in the league through the first three weeks.
  • DET Safety #31
    Campbell spoke in a dejected tone when asked about the Lions’ safety duo returning to practice, particularly when discussing Joseph’s outlook. Campbell said Joseph did not suffer a setback, but stopped short of fully explaining the situation. It sounds like Joseph’s recovery stalled. The training staff was focused on strengthening Joseph’s knee, “but there was a little time there where we weren’t able to do everything we needed to do.” The Lions will not ask Joseph to play until he gets his knee as strong as it can possibly be, “and he feels comfortable.” Branch could return to practice in the coming weeks, but at this point, Joseph’s career status seems like it might be up in the air.
  • DET Center #64
    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.

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    Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla said he has “no current plans to change anything about the team, including the coach, president, operation or Lumen Field.”

    Axios’ Dan Primack reminded Khosla of his stated desire to preserve what Paul Allen built before asking him if he would commit to keeping the Seahawks in Seattle long term. Khosla first responded by saying he would “never say never,” and then rhetorically wondered aloud whether this team would be in Seattle “500 years from now,” before making his “no current plans” remarks. Primack helpfully refocused the conversation on the Lumen Field lease’s 2032 end date, prompting Khosla to say that he doesn’t think he’ll “do anything but learn for a while.” Seriously entertaining a move seems unlikely, but Khosla would do well to provide a more concrete answer to a city that once saw its NBA team relocated after new ownership took over. His comments can be ignored for now. Perhaps this is just an early negotiation tactic for future stadium renovations.
  • LA Running Back #24
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    The Athletic’s Nate Atkins believes the Rams need more from Blake Corum in the coming weeks.

    Atkins believes Puka Nacua’s (groin) impending return will lighten the box, in turn making life easier on the run game and preventing the opposition from blitzing as frequently as the Broncos did last week. Corum has not established himself as a reliable weekly contributor in fantasy. Perhaps positive impacts from Nacua’s return trickle down to the Rams’ No. 2 running back. Kyren Williams remains a locked-in starter. Keep Corum stashed for now.
  • LA Defensive Tackle #99
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    NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Aaron Donald is dealing with a “mild” back injury.

    Rapoport also said Donald’s absence is more than just a precautionary measure, and compared his sidelining to the way the Rams handled Myles Garrett’s knee injury, with a long-term view in mind. Check back next week to see if Donald is feeling well enough to resume practicing.
  • CHI Quarterback #17
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    NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that QB Tyson Bagent is expected to start for the Bears in Week 4 against the Jets.

    Bagent signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension in August 2025 to serve as the Bears’ No. 2 quarterback. He took the majority of first-team reps this week despite QB3 Case Keenum’s Week 3 heroics. Bagent can be started in Superflex leagues against the Jets, assuming he is officially named the starter this weekend.
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    Derwin James (hamstring) is questionable to play in Week 4 against the Seahawks.

    James sandwiched a Thursday absence with two limited sessions. The veteran safety plays through injuries whenever possible, and the Chargers will need all hands on deck to get their season back on track.
  • SEA Running Back #26
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    Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said the team is making sure Zach Charbonnet (knee) “feels great when the time comes for him to come back.”

    The Seahawks opened Charbonnet’s practice window on Thursday, but he is not yet ready to return. Charbonnet’s left quad is noticeably thinner than his right quad, and Macdonald explained that there is “a process to get him physically and mentally ready to go.” That said, Macdonald also said the veteran running back “looks fantastic.” Stash him now.
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    Chiefs ruled out LT Josh Simmons (back) for Week 4 against the Raiders.

    Earlier this week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Simmons is dealing with a bulging disc in his lower back. Brutal. On the plus side, CB Chamarri Conner (knee) will make his return.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #19
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    Marvin Mims (foot) was removed from the injury report and will play in Week 4 against the 49ers.

    Mims aggravated his foot injury back in Week 1 and has been inactive on game day since. The Broncos’ volatile performer is back, but is not on the FLEX radar in 12-team formats.
  • DEN Running Back #27
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    J.K. Dobbins (hip) was removed from the injury report and will play in Week 4 against the 49ers.

    Dobbins practiced in full this week, so he should be ready to handle his typical workload against the 49ers this week. The Broncos’ lead rusher has played very unproductively this season, failing to hit 7.0 PPR points each week. The Broncos’ defensive line has been hit hard by injuries. Perhaps Dobbins can steady himself in the RB2/FLEX ranks against them.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #17
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    Jaylen Waddle (foot) is not on the injury report for Week 4 against the 49ers.

    Waddle gave folks a fright, sporting a walking boot after the Broncos’ Week 3 win over the Rams. He practiced in full all week, though, so there are no concerns about his availability. Waddle is a WR2 against the 49ers in what should be a fantasy-friendly game environment.