By Sunday 
If you’ve been following the Detroit Lions lately, you already know they’ve built one of the NFL’s most exciting young defenses—and at the heart of it stands Brian Branch, a rising star whose play is forcing Detroit into a tough but exciting decision: pay him big now, or risk paying even more later.
Branch’s Skyrocketing Stock
In just two seasons, Branch has gone from promising second-round pick to a Pro Bowl safety with eye-popping numbers. His 2024 stats read like something out of Madden: 109 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four interceptions, and 16 pass breakups. He’s quickly become the perfect complement to Kerby Joseph, giving Detroit a safety duo that rivals any in the league.
And it’s not just Lions fans noticing—Branch’s trajectory has made him a name to watch across the NFL. If he keeps up his play in 2025, he won’t just be one of the best safeties on the field—he’ll be one of the highest-paid off it.
The Price of Waiting
Lions GM Brad Holmes has done a masterful job locking up young talent. Joseph already reset the safety market with a $86 million extension this offseason. But here’s the kicker: if the Lions wait too long on Branch, that price tag could get even bigger.
Why? The safety market isn’t standing still. With stars like Kyle Hamilton, Jessie Bates, and Minkah Fitzpatrick all coming up for new deals soon, the going rate for elite safeties could skyrocket. That means every game Branch dominates makes the Lions’ eventual bill even steeper.
Timing is Everything
The question is simple but loaded: do the Lions double down on two big contracts at a non-premium position? Or do they gamble by waiting, knowing full well the safety market could explode around them?
If Holmes and the Lions front office want to keep the core of this ascending defense together, getting ahead of the market is the smart move. And if Branch’s play in 2025 is anything like last season, a four-year, $88 million extension with over $40 million guaranteed might look like a bargain a year from now.
The Bottom Line
Brian Branch’s meteoric rise is one of the best stories in Detroit sports—and the Lions have a chance to make sure it continues in Honolulu blue for years to come. But they’ll need to act fast, or risk watching the price for their budding star safety shoot even higher.