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Former Alabama DB Brian Branch injured after scary helmet-to-helmet contact
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Former Alabama defensive back Brian Branch was involved in a scary collision in the 4th quarter of the Detroit Lions’ Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Branch’s helmet collided with the helmet of Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, with both players shaken up on the play. Fortunately, both players were able to get up and walk off the field under their own power.
Here’s video of the scary moment:
Terrifying play on this collision with Brian Branch and Trey McBride. pic.twitter.com/Ccf5aiOkkZ
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) September 22, 2024
Branch was ruled questionable to return pending evaluation for a neck injury, per Lions PR:
#Lions Injury Update:
DB Brian Branch, Neck, Questionable
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) September 22, 2024
Meanwhile, the Cardinals announced that McBride was being evaluated for a concussion.
Branch, a second-round selection out of Alabama in 2023, recorded 74 tackles and 3 interceptions as a rookie. He entered Sunday’s game with 13 tackles and an INT. Prior to his injury, Branch had a team-high 9 tackles, including a tackle for a loss.
The Lions eventually held on to defeat the Cardinals 20-13 to improve to 2-1 on the young season, with head coach Dan Campbell sure to provide an update on the status of Branch during his postgame press conference.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
