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The Detroit Lions have taken care of Jahmyr Gibbs.
Their next two major contract negotiations may require considerably more patience.
NFL insider Albert Breer reported that Detroit is not currently close to extensions with tight end Sam LaPorta or safety Brian Branch, even though both remain firmly established as long-term pieces of the organization.
“It’s also worth mentioning that while LaPorta and Brian Branch aren’t close to deals, both are seen as part of the Lions’ future, so each could be extended at some point soon,” Breer wrote.
That is not a sign that Detroit has changed its opinion of either player. It is a reminder that the Lions are negotiating with two young stars whose recent injuries make timing, guarantees and contract structure much more complicated.
General manager Brad Holmes identified Gibbs, LaPorta, Branch and Jack Campbell as foundational members of Detroit’s 2023 draft class well before contract talks became the story of training camp.
Detroit has now completed extensions with Campbell and Gibbs. LaPorta and Branch remain unsigned beyond their rookie contracts, but Holmes has made it clear that the organization wants to retain all four players.
The lack of a deal should not be mistaken for a lack of interest.
Detroit simply has more medical uncertainty to evaluate with LaPorta and Branch than it did with Gibbs.
LaPorta’s situation centers on the back injury that ended his 2025 season.
The Pro Bowl tight end underwent back surgery and spent the offseason progressing through rehabilitation. Dan Campbell said during spring practices that LaPorta was improving but was not yet ready for full participation.
LaPorta has since returned to the practice field, an encouraging development for both his football future and contract case.
The Lions still must decide how much risk they are comfortable accepting in a long-term agreement. Back injuries can be difficult to project, especially for a tight end whose job requires blocking defensive linemen, absorbing contact over the middle and repeatedly bending through traffic.
LaPorta will also have a strong financial argument. When healthy, he is one of Detroit’s most important offensive players and one of the NFL’s best young tight ends.
That combination creates a complicated negotiation.
Detroit wants to reward the player. The franchise also wants protection if the back issue resurfaces.
Branch’s situation may be even more difficult.
The Lions safety tore his Achilles in December and opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Detroit has remained optimistic about his rehabilitation, but the team has not announced a firm return date.
Branch has recently progressed to limited on-field work, and there has been cautious optimism that he could return around the opening portion of the regular season. That still leaves Detroit negotiating without seeing him play full-speed football following one of the most serious injuries an NFL defensive back can suffer.
The Lions know what Branch was before the injury.
He developed into a Pro Bowl defender capable of playing safety, nickel and near the line of scrimmage. His instincts, physicality and versatility made him one of the most valuable pieces of Detroit’s defense.
The question is not whether Detroit wants him.
It is whether the team and Branch’s representatives can agree on a price and guarantee structure while his post-injury performance remains unknown.
LaPorta and Branch are not merely trying to secure modest extensions.
Each player has a reasonable argument to be paid near the top of his position.
That raises the stakes.
A market-leading deal requires significant guarantees, and guarantees become harder to negotiate when a player is returning from major surgery. Detroit could protect itself through roster bonuses, rolling guarantees or performance-based escalators, but those mechanisms may not provide the immediate security each player wants.
The Lions have shown they will pay elite players.
They have also shown they care deeply about structure.
Holmes is not going to abandon that discipline simply because two popular players are next in line.
Gibbs’ record-setting extension removes the biggest contract story from Detroit’s training camp.
The Lions gave him a three-year extension worth $67.5 million in base value, $75.75 million at its maximum and $51.5 million guaranteed. The deal made Gibbs the NFL’s highest-paid running back and secured another centerpiece from the 2023 draft class.
That allows Detroit to turn more of its attention toward LaPorta and Branch.
It does not guarantee either negotiation will suddenly accelerate.
Gibbs was healthy, practicing again and negotiating within a running back market that had just been clarified by deals for Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor. LaPorta and Branch have different health questions and different positional markets.
These contracts will require their own timelines.
A little concern is fair.
LaPorta and Branch are entering the final season of their rookie deals. Every month without an agreement brings them closer to free agency and increases the possibility that another contract elsewhere resets their respective markets.
Panic would be premature.
Detroit does not need to see either player complete a full regular season before negotiating. Former Lions president Rod Wood previously said the organization could extend LaPorta and Branch based on its medical evaluations without requiring them to prove themselves in games first.
The Lions also have tools available if talks stretch into 2027, including the franchise tag. That would be an undesirable outcome, but Detroit is not facing an immediate lose-them-for-nothing deadline.
The more likely scenario is that Holmes waits until the medical picture becomes clearer, then tries to complete one extension before turning fully toward the other.
LaPorta may have the cleaner path.
He is already back on the practice field and can provide Detroit with fresh evidence that his back is responding well. If he handles camp and the early season without a setback, negotiations could move quickly.
Branch may require more time because an Achilles recovery directly affects the movement skills that make him special. Detroit needs to see his burst, change of direction and ability to cover before committing record-level money.
That does not make Branch less important.
It makes his evaluation more complicated.
Albert Breer’s report that the Lions are not close to extensions with Sam LaPorta or Brian Branch is concerning, but it does not suggest either player is falling out of Detroit’s long-term plans.
The obstacles are health, timing and money.
LaPorta is returning from back surgery. Branch is recovering from a torn Achilles. Both could seek contracts near the top of their positions, and Detroit must balance those demands against the medical risk attached to each player.
Brad Holmes just completed a massive deal with Jahmyr Gibbs.
The next two will not be nearly as straightforward.
Continue reading...
Their next two major contract negotiations may require considerably more patience.
NFL insider Albert Breer reported that Detroit is not currently close to extensions with tight end Sam LaPorta or safety Brian Branch, even though both remain firmly established as long-term pieces of the organization.
“It’s also worth mentioning that while LaPorta and Brian Branch aren’t close to deals, both are seen as part of the Lions’ future, so each could be extended at some point soon,” Breer wrote.
That is not a sign that Detroit has changed its opinion of either player. It is a reminder that the Lions are negotiating with two young stars whose recent injuries make timing, guarantees and contract structure much more complicated.
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Lions Still View LaPorta and Branch as Core Players
General manager Brad Holmes identified Gibbs, LaPorta, Branch and Jack Campbell as foundational members of Detroit’s 2023 draft class well before contract talks became the story of training camp.
Detroit has now completed extensions with Campbell and Gibbs. LaPorta and Branch remain unsigned beyond their rookie contracts, but Holmes has made it clear that the organization wants to retain all four players.
The lack of a deal should not be mistaken for a lack of interest.
Detroit simply has more medical uncertainty to evaluate with LaPorta and Branch than it did with Gibbs.
Sam LaPorta Must Show His Back Is Ready
LaPorta’s situation centers on the back injury that ended his 2025 season.
The Pro Bowl tight end underwent back surgery and spent the offseason progressing through rehabilitation. Dan Campbell said during spring practices that LaPorta was improving but was not yet ready for full participation.
LaPorta has since returned to the practice field, an encouraging development for both his football future and contract case.
The Lions still must decide how much risk they are comfortable accepting in a long-term agreement. Back injuries can be difficult to project, especially for a tight end whose job requires blocking defensive linemen, absorbing contact over the middle and repeatedly bending through traffic.
LaPorta will also have a strong financial argument. When healthy, he is one of Detroit’s most important offensive players and one of the NFL’s best young tight ends.
That combination creates a complicated negotiation.
Detroit wants to reward the player. The franchise also wants protection if the back issue resurfaces.
Brian Branch Faces a Longer Road Back
Branch’s situation may be even more difficult.
The Lions safety tore his Achilles in December and opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Detroit has remained optimistic about his rehabilitation, but the team has not announced a firm return date.
Branch has recently progressed to limited on-field work, and there has been cautious optimism that he could return around the opening portion of the regular season. That still leaves Detroit negotiating without seeing him play full-speed football following one of the most serious injuries an NFL defensive back can suffer.
The Lions know what Branch was before the injury.
He developed into a Pro Bowl defender capable of playing safety, nickel and near the line of scrimmage. His instincts, physicality and versatility made him one of the most valuable pieces of Detroit’s defense.
The question is not whether Detroit wants him.
It is whether the team and Branch’s representatives can agree on a price and guarantee structure while his post-injury performance remains unknown.
You must be registered for see images attach
Both Players Could Seek Position-Setting Contracts
LaPorta and Branch are not merely trying to secure modest extensions.
Each player has a reasonable argument to be paid near the top of his position.
That raises the stakes.
A market-leading deal requires significant guarantees, and guarantees become harder to negotiate when a player is returning from major surgery. Detroit could protect itself through roster bonuses, rolling guarantees or performance-based escalators, but those mechanisms may not provide the immediate security each player wants.
The Lions have shown they will pay elite players.
They have also shown they care deeply about structure.
Holmes is not going to abandon that discipline simply because two popular players are next in line.
Gibbs Deal Clears the Negotiating Table
Gibbs’ record-setting extension removes the biggest contract story from Detroit’s training camp.
The Lions gave him a three-year extension worth $67.5 million in base value, $75.75 million at its maximum and $51.5 million guaranteed. The deal made Gibbs the NFL’s highest-paid running back and secured another centerpiece from the 2023 draft class.
That allows Detroit to turn more of its attention toward LaPorta and Branch.
It does not guarantee either negotiation will suddenly accelerate.
Gibbs was healthy, practicing again and negotiating within a running back market that had just been clarified by deals for Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor. LaPorta and Branch have different health questions and different positional markets.
These contracts will require their own timelines.
Should Lions Fans Be Concerned?
A little concern is fair.
LaPorta and Branch are entering the final season of their rookie deals. Every month without an agreement brings them closer to free agency and increases the possibility that another contract elsewhere resets their respective markets.
Panic would be premature.
Detroit does not need to see either player complete a full regular season before negotiating. Former Lions president Rod Wood previously said the organization could extend LaPorta and Branch based on its medical evaluations without requiring them to prove themselves in games first.
The Lions also have tools available if talks stretch into 2027, including the franchise tag. That would be an undesirable outcome, but Detroit is not facing an immediate lose-them-for-nothing deadline.
The more likely scenario is that Holmes waits until the medical picture becomes clearer, then tries to complete one extension before turning fully toward the other.
You must be registered for see images attach
Who Gets Paid First?
LaPorta may have the cleaner path.
He is already back on the practice field and can provide Detroit with fresh evidence that his back is responding well. If he handles camp and the early season without a setback, negotiations could move quickly.
Branch may require more time because an Achilles recovery directly affects the movement skills that make him special. Detroit needs to see his burst, change of direction and ability to cover before committing record-level money.
That does not make Branch less important.
It makes his evaluation more complicated.
Bottom Line
Albert Breer’s report that the Lions are not close to extensions with Sam LaPorta or Brian Branch is concerning, but it does not suggest either player is falling out of Detroit’s long-term plans.
The obstacles are health, timing and money.
LaPorta is returning from back surgery. Branch is recovering from a torn Achilles. Both could seek contracts near the top of their positions, and Detroit must balance those demands against the medical risk attached to each player.
Brad Holmes just completed a massive deal with Jahmyr Gibbs.
The next two will not be nearly as straightforward.
Continue reading...
