Brian Branch was a part of some unnecessary fighting after the Detroit Lions' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. The safety, who has been fined a total of 13 times over his last three seasons in the NFL and with the Lions, is set to face another hefty price to pay after his latest involvement in an altercation.
At the end of the Lions' loss, Branch refused to shake hands with Patrick Mahomes as he walked off the field. Fair enough. But, Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took exception to that rejection, getting right into Branch's ear about it. Branch responded with a smack to the helmet of Smith-Schuster, leaving him with a bloody nose.
The ensuing fracas that found Mahomes at the bottom of a large pile and Branch being peeled away and into the Lions' locker room is sure to warrant a response from the league.
And, this decision making couldn't have come at a worse time for Detroit, or for Branch, as the team is facing down the possibility of being left with one starting safety and no starting cornerbacks for Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Branch leaving Lions in difficult spot with latest fight in Week 6
With Branch possibly getting suspended for Detroit's game against the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team might be left with just Kerby Joseph for the contest as a starting defender in the secondary. The team added in Amik Robertson and newcomers in Arthur Maulet and Thomas Harper, but they couldn't do much to contain Mahomes when the Lions' pass rush was dead on arrival.
Branch has been too vital of a defender for Detroit to be making choices like this, regardless of whether it's true that Smith-Schuster had essentially baited him into the fight. He's had 23 solo tackles, one interception, and five pass breakups so far this season, and he's looked every bit of a player the Lions should be paying to keep on board once this season is wrapped up.
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But, this is what they've gotten on the flip side from Branch - a player that struggles to not let the opponent get in his head, leading to taunting fines, roughness fines, and now a likely suspension.
This is the worst possible time for him to have gotten involved in this, as now, Detroit is facing the possibility to having to stop a possible MVP in Baker Mayfield from going off against their depleted secondary. As we saw in Week 6, that's a bet that's not worth taking if you're the Lions.