Detroit Lions 2026 Roster Bubble: Safeties

The Detroit Lions will enter the 2026 season with some uncertainty at the safety position. 

When healthy, the Lions’ starting safety duo of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph is one of the very best tandems in the NFL. 

However, Branch, who has spent the offseason recovering from a torn Achilles, is expected to start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Meanwhile, Joseph’s health is also in question, and there’s a chance he’ll never fully recover from the lingering knee ailment which limited him to just six games in 2025. 

Chuck Clark, a free-agent acquisition this offseason of Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, is expected to start in place of Branch to begin the season. Clark, who most recently suited up for the Pittsburgh Steelers, brings 123 games of NFL experience to the table, including 80 games as a starter.  

After Clark, fellow offseason acquisition Christian Izien should be next in line to see time at safety. Izien, previously a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2023-2025), appeared in 14 games (one start) in ‘25, recording 25 total tackles and a forced fumble. 

Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper also definitely have a chance to garner reps at safety in 2026. Maddox is a versatile defensive back with the ability to also line up at nickel corner, while Harper is coming off a campaign in which he started nine games in place of Joseph and earned an impressive 77.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.  

“He played a lot of good, quality football (last season),” Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said of Harper during OTAs. “Those were quality snaps he was able to log. We do feel like he is continuing to grow, he is continuing to get better. He is a player that is going to push that unit to be in the lineup.”