The Detroit Lions placed Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch on injured reserve Saturday, Dec. 13, officially ending his season.
Branch tore the Achilles in his right leg in last week’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Branch underwent surgery last week and faces an 8- to 12-month timeline for return.
The Lions activated tight end Shane Zylstra off IR to take Branch’s place as part of a slew of roster moves Saturday.
Zylstra, who hasn’t played since injuring his knee in Week 2, adds depth at tight end, where the Lions had just one player on their 53-man roster – Anthony Firkser.
Starting tight end Sam LaPorta is out for the season after back surgery, and backup Brock Wright is on IR with a trachea injury that likely will keep him out until the playoffs.
Along with Zylstra, the Lions elevated tight end Giovanni Ricci and safety Erick Hallett from the practice squad to the active/inactive list.
In addition, the Lions announced that offensive lineman Christian Mahogany was not activated from injured reserve and he was ruled out for Sunday vs. the Rams. Safety Thomas Harper was also downgraded to out with a concussion.
Lions announce roster moves:
Placed S Brian Branch on Reserve/Injured.
Activated TE Shane Zylstra from Reserve/Injured.
Elevated TE Giovanni Ricci and S Erick Hallett from the Practice Squad to the Active/Inactive list. pic.twitter.com/E7bwearLwg
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 13, 2025
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions injury report vs Rams as Brian Branch placed on IR
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