Ahead of Week 7, the Detroit Lions find themselves amid some pretty interesting team developments.
Brian Branch, one of the league's best defensive backs who has been injured since last December following a torn achilles, will be back with no snap count in Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers. It's an unbelievably welcome return to form for the Lions' secondary, which has allowed some of the most egregious offensive performances of the season so far.
On the other hand, the Lions had to deal with a bit of a PR snafu this week. Sam LaPorta is in the middle of negotiating a new extension with the Lions - or rather, he was, until talks were paused - and he recently decided to air out some tough emotions around that negotiation on "Pardon My Take."
Why would the Lions just enter this weekend relatively free of drama? There's no fun in that. Here are a few of the teams' top storylines headed into their first divisional game of the year.
- 1. Sam LaPorta became the main character
- 2. Brian Branch, Cade Mays set to return in Week 7
- 3. Trade deadline is quietly approaching, and the Lions are being quiet, too
- 4. Detroit entering Week 7 with an unbelievably small injury report
1. Sam LaPorta became the main character
As mentioned, LaPorta accidentally made himself the most talked about Lions player this week without likely meaning to do so. The tight end seemed pretty disgruntled when discussing issues with his negotiation on the PMT podcast, telling the hosts:
"I think the combination of like, getting your heartstrings twisted, as well as the violent sport that we play, you know, it sucks, and it's disappointing that you go out there every week and you bear the risk of getting hurt. You know, like last year, whatever it was, week nine, week 10, you know, I break my f****** back for the team, and them I'm going out there this year and I'm balling and maybe they're just not showing the love," he said.
He added, "So it sucks. I'm going to continue to be a pro. And I dish a lot of that to my agent and he handles that great. And in three months, if I don't get to wear the Honolulu blue and play for the Lions anymore, it's going to be all good. I'll go get paid somewhere else. So whatever,"
LaPorta was not made available to media following these comments, finally holding a scrum on Friday after the Lions' practice. He essentially made it a point to explain that his intention was never to create a distraction for the Lions, and he wishes to remain with the team for the foreseeable future. (h/t Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network):
"Yeah, I feel bad if there was any sort of distraction to the team, teammates, coaches. But I think there was maybe a bit of a misconception with, I guess -- like my intentions are, I want to play for this team. I give everything I have. My teammates do as well. They all love me, respect me, and support me, and they want to see me be happy and compensated."
He added that he thinks of his family, which is growing by one in a few months, when thinking about the importance of getting an extension secured. That contributes to the emotion around the extension conversation.
To be honest, it feels like this was blown out of proportion. LaPorta is a pro, and PMT is not exactly known for professionally done interviewing. It was a lax environment away from prying Detroit media for him to say how he really felt, and the damage was unfortunately done as a result of his candidness. Hopefully, his scrum was enough to dispel the notion that he doesn't want to be here.
2. Brian Branch, Cade Mays set to return in Week 7
Branch and Cade Mays will be back and starting this week, and both will be playing without a snap restriction. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard spoke about the expectations for Branch's return this week:
"I'm not big on giving you projections and 'Oh, he's going to do this, he's going to do that.' It's just beautiful to have (him) back. There are multiple things obviously that player can do to help us, and we'll find the spots that we feel is right and he feels right for him as we progress here."
As for Mays, he told reporters that being back at center is just like "riding a bike."
Cade Mays is set to make his Lions debut after recovering from a fractured wrist this summer.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 23, 2026
"It's like riding a bike. There's obviously stuff to get better at every day," the center said on Thursday.
Mays signed a three-year, $25 million deal to anchor Detroit's o-line, a… pic.twitter.com/aH3KTmCfnI
Mays is replacing Juice Scruggs in the starting lineup, and you hope to not see any drop off from the Lions' offense overall with a change at such a key position. However, the Lions are paying Mays the "big bucks" for a reason, and he's likely to elevate their offense even more with his presence. Worst case scenario: the Lions have reliable depth behind Mays for the rest of this year, health willing.
3. Trade deadline is quietly approaching, and the Lions are being quiet, too
The deadline will be coming in a few weeks, and the Lions still have a very obvious hole at cornerback to address. Assuming the team keeps putting rookie Keith Abney II in at safety next to Branch and Chuck Clark, that leaves them without a cornerback on the field. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. has looked solid, and so has Roger McCreary, but D.J. Reed - their actual starter - has looked rough.
They should be trying to net at least one solid starter by the deadline. Names to monitor include Riq Woolen, former Lion Amik Robertson, and Donte Jackson. The Lions are in an interesting spot - they should be aggressive given how wide open the NFC is this season, but they also seem to be still conservative with their assets as they look to secure deals with LaPorta and Branch in the offseason.
4. Detroit entering Week 7 with an unbelievably small injury report
One area that the Lions really had to improve upon this offseason was finding ways to help the team remain durable for a full season. They eliminated joint practices, and rookie camp. They were also far less physical in training camp overall, and kept starters out of the preseason.
As a result of this work, potentially, or maybe just some luck finally on their side, they've been the healthier team in most of their games this season. That level of availability, especially from their starters, has helped their offensive line to see a total revamp, in addition to their pass rush.
Only Rock Ya-Sin has appeared so far on their injury report for Week 7, while the Packers just can't seem to stay very healthy on defense this season.
They are getting Josh Jacobs back - from the commissioner's exempt list, not the IR - but they are hobbling a bit into this matchup. It's wild just how night and day the Lions' depth is this season compared to last, and you have to wonder if those meaningful offseason changes helped.
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