The Detroit Lions were dealt another significant injury blow when safety Brian Branch suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. Obviously, his 2025 season came to an instant end and his injury outlook also instantly became cloudy.
With his injury happening in early December, Branch is in line to miss a noticeable chunk of next season. How many games he misses is obviously to be determined, but we do know he had his surgery fairly quickly after the injury and that's better than the alternative.
Once upon a time, a torn Achilles' would derail an athlete's career basically irretrievably. Medical advancements have changed that.
Lions writer invites idea Brian Branch could make fast return from Achilles' tear
Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports recently talked to Dave Kempfert, the Director of Rehabilitation at the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee.
In light of Branch's injury, with full acknowledgement of every situation being unique, Kempfert refreshed our memories about a surgical procedure for Achilles ruptures.
"There is often an option for what is called the SpeedBridge surgery for Achilles ruptures. This is potentially why we have seen NFL players, such as Cam Akers, return to sport faster. Again, I am not familiar at all with the specifics of Brian Branch’s injury and would not advocate for a particular course of treatment, as that decision is left to his physician. However, the SpeedBridge surgery is another example of an advancing medical technique used to return athletes back to the field faster.”
"The decision for any surgery depends on so many things: the severity of the injury, the location of the injury, the familiarity of a physician with the procedure, the position of the athlete, the timelines for tissue healing and return to play, etc. For most people, it’s going to be a year or more to return to full activity after an Achilles repair, and that depends not only on the surgical technique but on the quality of the rehab, the effort of the patient, and the physical makeup of the patient as well. With this surgery, we have seen people return as early as 5–7 months to elite-level competitive sport.”
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Kempfert made reference to running back Cam Akers, who tore his right Achilles tendon during a training camp practice in July of 2021. He returned to play in the regular season finale, and in all four games of the Los Angeles Rams' postseason run to a Super Bowl win.
It's critical to note it's unclear if Branch was able to have the SpeedBridge procedure, and we won't necessarily know that anytime soon. Kempfert got into the details of that surgery, with the bottom line being "a stronger repair and a less invasive surgery that can allow for an earlier start of rehabilitation and weight-bearing faster than with traditional Achilles tendon repair.”
If Branch was able to have the simpler surgery, a quick recovery and return for Week 1 next season would theoretically be in play. Time will tell, when we get updates over the course of the offseason, if it ends up truly being in play.