With Aaron Glenn’s departure this offseason to become the head coach of the New York Jets, the Detroit Lions filled their vacancy at defensive coordinator by promoting linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard.
Among Sheppard’s stated objectives since taking the job on Jan. 30 is “making sure we find that fine balance in guys that can play the run and the pass and just making sure they gel with who we want to be because that supersedes everything.”
Lions safety Brian Branch would seem to check those boxes. In his second NFL season, Branch led Detroit with 79 solo tackles and held opposing quarterbacks to a 73.7 passing-efficiency rating when throwing to receivers he covered in 2024. Branch had more interceptions with four than touchdowns allowed with three.
But Sheppard said Branch can get better after the former Alabama standout received his first Pro Bowl invitation.
“Brian Branch is only going into his third year,” Sheppard said. “That’s a young player. I know we see this dynamic athlete, but there’s so much meat on the bone from the neck up with that player.”
Branch’s 2024 season was good enough, the safety got a raise without needing to negotiate with the Lions.
When the rosters for the Pro Bowl Games were announced on Jan. 2, Branch joined fellow Alabama alumnus Xavier McKinney of the Green Bay Packers and Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals as the NFL safeties.
Under the NFL’s proven performance escalator program, Branch earned a raise of at least $3.6 million for the 2026 season by making the Pro Bowl original roster (that is, before injury and Super Bowl replacements).
The plan was designed to reward players chosen in the second round or later in the NFL Draft who outperform their rookie contracts.
Each drafted player signs a four-year contract for a predetermined amount set by the league’s collective bargaining agreement with its players’ association. Each first-round contract also includes a team option for a fifth season.
The rookie contracts cannot be renegotiated no matter how well the player performs. But under the PPE program, a second-round draft pick who plays at an all-star level such as Branch doesn’t have to wait until his four-year contract is up to be rewarded.
A player selected to the original Pro Bowl roster in his first three seasons will have his fourth-season salary increased to the amount of the second-round restricted free agent tender.
What that amount of money will be in 2026 isn’t known, but the second-round restricted free agent tender for 2025 is $5.351 million, as estimated by overthecap.com.
That value will be more in 2026 when Branch’s fourth season arrives and will present a jump from his contract, which called for the safety to be paid $1.744 million in the final season of the four-year, $8.022 million deal.
