Dan Campbell came out of the Lions’ bye week with two reinforcements in his plans: safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays are both expected to make their season debuts on Sunday when the Green Bay Packers visit Ford Field.
“Barring anything negatively happening between now and the game, we plan on playing both of those guys,” the Detroit head coach said at his Monday press conference.
"Barring anything negatively happening between now and the game, we plan on playing both of those guys." -Coach Campbell on Brian Branch and Cade Mays
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 19, 2026
The timing matters. The Lions are 3-2 and have yet to play an NFC North opponent, while the Packers arrive at 4-2 after a third straight win, 23-13 over Dallas on Sunday night. Detroit sits half a game behind Green Bay, so the first division meeting of the year carries early weight.
How much Branch can carry
Branch has not played a regular-season snap since tearing his Achilles last season. He has been back on the practice field for roughly two weeks, and Campbell said the staff has settled on a range of snaps for him against Green Bay rather than a full workload. Lions beat writers quoted the coach as saying 70-plus plays would be “asking a lot,” though he believes the safety can already take on a substantial share. The plan is to push Branch in practice this week and settle on the final number by the end of the week.
Mays, who broke his wrist in the summer, is the more complicated call. Juice Scruggs has played well at center in his absence, and Campbell said the team is still deciding whether to rotate the two or hand the job back to Mays outright. Neither player has been formally activated yet; Detroit cleared roster space by moving three players to injured reserve during the off week.
Sewell on the left side, and a coach who likes the direction
Campbell also spoke about Penei Sewell’s first five games at left tackle, the move the club made after Taylor Decker’s departure in the offseason. Sewell has anchored the blind side for an offense that averages 32.8 points a game, 164 in all through five weeks, one of the best marks in the league.
Coach Campbell on Penei Sewell's transition over to left tackle pic.twitter.com/Swsk34AEWJ
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 19, 2026
The coach said he feels, in some ways, more upbeat about this team at 3-2 than he did about last year’s group at 5-2 going into its bye. He described a young roster that is still growing, and said he believes Detroit is on the rise. He also admitted it feels strange to wait until Week 7 for a division game.
The defense, which has allowed 148 points, is where Branch’s return should be felt most. Aidan Hutchinson has helped it pile up pressure; he now has more quarterback hits than any Lions player since the statistic was first tracked in 2006.
What comes next
The Lions host the Packers on Sunday, October 25, at 4:25 p.m. EDT at Ford Field (Game Center). Detroit then stays home to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 1. Follow both clubs on the Lions and Packers team pages, and the latest designations on the injury report.
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