NFL Insider believes the Lions could break a near decade-long streak with Brian Branch or Sam LaPorta

The Lions haven’t done this in a long time

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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It’s officially extension season for the Detroit Lions. This offseason, four of the Lions’ best players are now eligible for extensions. Jack Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch. The thing is that only two of these guys could be grabbing new deals this year. That’s Gibbs and Campbell. Both Branch and LaPorta are dealing with long-term injuries that could affect their 2026 seasons.

So what do you do after the 2026 season? You can sign both to new contracts, or you could go a way that you haven’t gone in a long time and do the thing ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggests.

NFL insider suggests the Lions could use the franchise tag on Brian Branch or Sam LaPorta after the 2026 season

“The Lions have some weight with LaPorta and Branch because they can threaten one of them with a (likely affordable) 2027 franchise tag. They can’t franchise both players, but they can try to play the two players off each other. If Branch signs first, the Lions can hold the franchise tag leverage over LaPorta — or vice versa.”

So there are some things to consider. The first is that Brad Holmes has never franchise-tagged a player. The Lions have been pretty good about getting their guys paid and paid well. The Lions have not used the tag since 2018, when Bob Quinn franchise-tagged edge rusher Ezekiel Ansah.

If the Lions were to use the tag on LaPorta, it would be a projected $14 million. If they do it with Branch, it would be a projected $20.9 million. So it’s not a small amount of money.

I just don’t see it happening for the Lions because, as I said, the team has been pretty good at getting their guys paid. Now, it makes sense that the Lions would push it back a year to ensure that Branch and LaPorta stay healthy during the 2026 season, but I can’t see the tag ever coming out. The Lions have not shown themselves to be a team that will handcuff a player with a tag that is usually taken negatively by players.

Graziano does have projections for both players’ extensions. Four years, $68 million with $24 million fully guaranteed at signing for LaPorta, and three years, $66 million with $28 million fully guaranteed at signing for Branch.

Both of those are fair numbers for both players, although the Lions have shown a tendency to give out a little more guaranteed money and then move that money up front so they can have lower cap hits. Other than that, it’s fair. We’ll see what happens over the next few months.

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