After Terrion Arnold was taken by the Lions in the first round of the draft, Brian Branch was fired up to be reunited with his Alabama teammate in the Detroit secondary. The now second-year defensive back was in Detroit for the draft, and he was apparently spotted by several fans with a boot on his left foot while getting around using a scooter.
On Thursday morning, a photo from Branch's agency-Klutch Sports Group-showing him greeting Arnold caused a stir.
Terrion Arnold x BB π pic.twitter.com/3CeSb99Cuj
β πΈπΆπππΎππ πΈππππππ (@motorcitypoison) May 1, 2024
Some other photos from draft weekend seem to show something similar, Branch on a scooter with his left foot in a boot. In the photos posted on Reddit, he's wearing the same green Klutch Sports hoodie that he's wearing in the photo the agency put out showing him with Arnold.
Is Lions' defensive back Brian Branch seriously injured?
At this juncture of the NFL offseason, specific injury information is largely non-existent and not required to be disclosed by teams. Branch did miss two games last season with an ankle injury, but that was to his right ankle. He finished the season without any obvious limitations, on his way to a nice rookie campaign (74 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions; Pro Football Focus' 14th highest-graded cornerback).
The draft in downtown Detroit was of course very crowded, as in record for an NFL draft crowded. So if Branch is dealing some sort of ailment to his left foot/ankle, etc., walking around to get to spots he may have needed to be would not have been a great idea. It's fair to assume scooters were available to the general public. It's just that Branch is recognizable as a Lions' player and seeing him not only on a scooter but with a boot on causes automatic concern.
The Lions begin the next phase of OTAs on May 21, so it's fair to wonder if Branch will be ready to go by then. For now, his being seeing with a boot on is not a major concern. Missing some fairly inconsequential work in May, if he's dealing with even a minor injury, is far better than missing time come late-July, August or September.