The Detroit Lions will be without safety Brian Branch for one game.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL suspended Branch for one game for hitting Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Lions and Chiefs engaged in a scuffle after Kansas City’s victory on Sunday.
“Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players,” NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan said of the penalty. “Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Branch will appeal the penalty.
Dave Skretta of the Associated Press detailed the scene after the game and noted Branch blew right past Patrick Mahomes when the Chiefs quarterback was trying to give him a high-five. Smith-Schuster was not happy with that move and told Branch as much.
However, the Lions safety responded by punching the receiver and knocking him to the ground.
That set off the skirmish, which overshadowed the Chiefs’ 30-17 victory in the aftermath.
“I did a little childish thing, but I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it,” Branch said. “They be trying to bully me out there and I don’t—I shouldn’t have did it. It was childish.”
His head coach wasn’t happy with the situation.
“I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable, and it’s not going to be accepted here,” Dan Campbell said. “It’s not what we do. It’s not what we’re about. I apologized to Coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs, and Smith-Schuster. That’s not OK. That’s not what we do here. It’s not going to be OK. He knows it. Our team knows it. That’s not what we do.”
While Branch is an important part of Detroit’s defense, this is far from the first time he has made headlines for actions that led to punishment:
One of those instances came earlier this season when the safety was fined because of facemask and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties from a game against the Green Bay Packers.
The scuffle was part of a frustrating night for the Detroit defense, which couldn’t stop Mahomes and the Kansas City offense. The star quarterback threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as the Chiefs snapped the Lions’ four-game winning streak.
Next up for Detroit is a matchup against the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so it might not take long to feel Branch’s absence.
