By Blessing 
NFL Suspends Lions’ Brian Branch One Game for Role in ‘SNF’ Fight vs. Chiefs
The NFL has officially handed down punishment to Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for instigating a heated postgame altercation on Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Branch, 23, has been suspended one game without pay for his actions following the Lions’ Week 6 loss at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, October 12.
In a letter addressed to Branch, NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan criticized the safety’s behavior, calling it unacceptable.
> “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,” Runyan wrote. “Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”
Branch will be eligible to return to Detroit’s active roster on Tuesday, October 21, after the Lions face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football the day before. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Branch retains the right to appeal his suspension.
—
Background: What Led to the Incident
The league’s decision follows a fiery moment that erupted after the final whistle. Following the Chiefs’ 30-17 victory, Branch confronted Kansas City receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster near midfield. The exchange quickly escalated when Branch struck Smith-Schuster across the facemask, sparking a chaotic scuffle between both teams and their coaching staffs.
Speaking with reporters afterward, Branch explained that frustration fueled his reaction.
> “I could’ve got hurt off of that play,” Branch admitted. “I still shouldn’t have done that.”
He said he believed Smith-Schuster had blocked him in the back on a late-game play that officials missed.
> “It was a childish thing, but I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it,” he added. “They be trying to bully me out there. I should have never did it. It was childish.”
—
Responses from Chiefs and Lions
Smith-Schuster disputed Branch’s account, saying he had only been executing his assignment.
> “I’m just doing my job,” he said. “I play between the whistles.”
Lions head coach Dan Campbell didn’t mince words after the dust settled. While expressing his affection for the young safety, he made it clear that such behavior goes against team values.
> “I love Brian Branch,” Campbell said. “But what he did is inexcusable, and it’s not going to be accepted here. 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.”
Veteran defensive end D.J. Reader said he planned to pull Branch aside for a private discussion once emotions cooled.
> “We’ll have that conversation,” Reader said. “It’s hard to have that conversation right now because everybody’s trying to have the conversation. I’m sure I’ll get a chance to talk to him, but it’s tough because he’s got that stinger for a reason as a player and you don’t ever want to take that away. But you also want him to be smart — not only for us, but also for himself. To protect his money, to protect him.”
—
Mahomes Weighs In
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also addressed the incident, choosing to focus on how his team handled the physical matchup.
> “I mean, we play the game in between the whistles,” Mahomes told NBC’s Melissa Stark after the game. “They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do. But we play the game in between the whistles.”
Later, during his postgame press conference, Mahomes praised his team’s toughness.
> “That’s a physical team, and they have a mentality that they come in to play with, and we’re going to match that mentality,” he said. “We’re not afraid to go up against anybody. That’s the mentality Coach Reid brings every single day, and we’re going to match the intensity of whoever steps on that field.”
—
Looking Ahead
The Lions will now have to navigate their next matchup without one of their top defensive players. For Branch, the suspension serves as a costly lesson early in his career — one that both his coaches and teammates hope becomes a turning point rather than a trend.