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Dan Campbell made the Detroit Lions’ approach clear ahead of Friday’s OTA practice in Allen Park: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta are all improving, but none of them are practicing right now. Detroit is keeping the focus on rehab through this phase of offseason work, with Joseph, Branch and LaPorta held out while the staff takes a patient path.
For Lions fans, that is the real takeaway from this late-May Detroit Lions injury update. The team is not chasing spring reps with three starters coming off significant injuries, and Campbell said all three are improving as the offseason program moves forward.
Campbell said the priority is continued rehab, not forcing any of the three back onto the field during this OTA stretch. That keeps the focus on long-term readiness instead of pushing for practice work in May.
Joseph missed the final 11 games of the 2025 season because of a chronic knee injury. Branch suffered a torn Achilles in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s Week 14 win over Dallas, and LaPorta’s season ended after back surgery before the Week 11 game against Philadelphia, as detailed in the latest injury rundown from Allen Park.
LaPorta has done some walkthrough and jog-through work, which gives Detroit at least one small on-field marker in this group. He still was not set to practice Friday, so his work remains limited while the rehab process continues.
Joseph and Branch stayed in the same rehab-only category during this OTA window. Campbell did not attach a return date for either player, and no timetable was established for minicamp or training camp in the follow-up injury update.
These are not fringe names sitting out in shorts and helmets. Joseph and Branch are central pieces in the secondary, and LaPorta is a big part of the passing game, so every rehab checkpoint matters when the roster starts building toward camp.
Detroit’s decision says plenty about how the staff is handling this spring. The Lions would rather reach training camp with those three on stable ground than squeeze extra OTA work out of players coming back from a knee issue, an Achilles tear and back surgery.
The next thing to watch is simple: whether any of the three moves beyond rehab work when the calendar shifts to mandatory minicamp and then training camp. Right now, LaPorta’s walkthrough involvement is the only sign of added field activity, while Joseph and Branch remain fully in the recovery phase.
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For Lions fans, that is the real takeaway from this late-May Detroit Lions injury update. The team is not chasing spring reps with three starters coming off significant injuries, and Campbell said all three are improving as the offseason program moves forward.
Detroit is choosing patience over OTA snaps
Campbell said the priority is continued rehab, not forcing any of the three back onto the field during this OTA stretch. That keeps the focus on long-term readiness instead of pushing for practice work in May.
Joseph missed the final 11 games of the 2025 season because of a chronic knee injury. Branch suffered a torn Achilles in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s Week 14 win over Dallas, and LaPorta’s season ended after back surgery before the Week 11 game against Philadelphia, as detailed in the latest injury rundown from Allen Park.
What stands out about LaPorta’s status
LaPorta has done some walkthrough and jog-through work, which gives Detroit at least one small on-field marker in this group. He still was not set to practice Friday, so his work remains limited while the rehab process continues.
Joseph and Branch stayed in the same rehab-only category during this OTA window. Campbell did not attach a return date for either player, and no timetable was established for minicamp or training camp in the follow-up injury update.
Why this matters for the Lions’ offseason
These are not fringe names sitting out in shorts and helmets. Joseph and Branch are central pieces in the secondary, and LaPorta is a big part of the passing game, so every rehab checkpoint matters when the roster starts building toward camp.
Detroit’s decision says plenty about how the staff is handling this spring. The Lions would rather reach training camp with those three on stable ground than squeeze extra OTA work out of players coming back from a knee issue, an Achilles tear and back surgery.
The next thing to watch is simple: whether any of the three moves beyond rehab work when the calendar shifts to mandatory minicamp and then training camp. Right now, LaPorta’s walkthrough involvement is the only sign of added field activity, while Joseph and Branch remain fully in the recovery phase.
Continue reading...
