Why Derwin James Contract Might Be Problematic For Brian Branch

L.A. Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James should have no problem paying his bills for the foreseeable future. He got paid (and then some) on Tuesday, inking a lucrative contract extension with Jim Harbaugh's squad.

Officially, James signed a three-year extension worth $75.6 million, including $57.5 million in guaranteed money. It will go into effect next season, keeping him with the “Bolts” through the 2029 season.

As a result of the new deal, the 2017 first-round pick is now the highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of the average annual value of his contract.

In 98 career games, James, a five-time Pro Bowler, has amassed 12 interceptions, six forced fumbles, 19 sacks and 46 passes defensed.

The James extension should be largely good news for Lions safety Brian Branch, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal this season. Because he was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he does not have a fifth-year option, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.

Branch, a Pro Bowler in 2024, has been one of the league’s most productive safeties since entering the league.

He played in just 12 games in 2025 after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon in Week 14. However, he still managed to compile 75 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, nine passes defended, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Additionally, for his efforts, he earned a 77.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the 13th-best mark out of 91 qualified safeties.

Impressively, he also recorded an 82.6 PFF run-defense grade, ranking eighth among all safeties.

Branch plays with a high level of aggression on an every-down basis, and is the epitome of a player whose impact is felt well beyond the box score.

“I have a ton of respect for his ability,” Aidan Hutchinson said of Branch on ESPN’s “This Is Football” podcast this past February. “A lot of my impact is low-speed collisions, being at the line of scrimmage. But, when I’m setting an edge and I hear BB (Brian Branch) coming downhill, cracking helmets, and then he gets up, he’s like unfazed, but the noise, you probably could hear it from the other side of the field. Man, I’ve got so much respect for that.”

Per Spotrac, Branch should be in the market for at least $20 million annually when he signs his next contract. And that number has likely been elevated by James’ new deal with the Chargers.

James, however, is both longer-tenured and more well-accomplished than the star Lions defensive back. And I envision that Detroit's front office, led by general manager Brad Holmes, will take that into account in its negotiations with Branch. Subsequently, I don't think the Alabama product will ink an extension quite in the $25M a year range.

Yet, I still expect him to get paid handsomely and to become one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL. And at this point, it's not a matter of if, but instead a matter of when the Lions will pony up to keep Branch in Motown long term.

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