KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brian Branch has been suspended one game without pay after striking Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The Detroit Lions safety struck Smith-Schuster shortly after the final whistle blew on the team’s 30-17 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday night. Branch set off a wild scene to end the night. He brushed off a handshake from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, then hit Smith-Schuster with an open hand as the receiver extended his hand, as well.
“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 in a statement.
“Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”
It was clear that some discipline was coming from the league level. Branch is no stranger to hefty fines, and was penalized earlier this season for ripping Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft’s helmet and tossing it to the sideline.
Dan Campbell wasted no time after the game, calling Branch’s actions “inexcusable” and saying that “it’s not going to be accepted here.” The Lions coach apologized to the Chiefs, coach Andy Reid and Smith-Schuster in his opening remarks after the tough loss.
“He knows it. Our team knows it. So, that’s not what we do,” Campbell said.
In the locker room, Branch apologized for his “childish” actions and said it never should have happened. But the hard-hitting pointed to an illegal block in the back in front of the referees that could have injured him, which led to the moment. He added that there was a feeling the Chiefs were trying to “bully” him, and there was a bunch of stuff when asked if the Chiefs were talking trash and egging him on throughout the game.
“In-between the play and refs don’t catch it, they were trying to bully me out there,” Branch said. ”I got blocked in the back illegally, and it was in front of the ref. But the ref didn’t do anything — just stuff like that. I could have got hurt off of that.
“But it’s still -- I still should have not done that.”
Branch is eligible to return to the team’s active roster one day after their Monday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct 21.
The third-year safety can appeal the suspension under the collective bargaining agreement. If there is an appeal, it will be decided by either Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson or Ramon Foster, per the NFL’s statement. Those former players are the appeal hearing officers for on-field player discipline as appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association.
Branch was entering the game against the Chiefs with a lower-body injury. He’ll now have to miss the next game and will get an extra week off ahead of the bye, for anyone looking for the bright side here.
Still, Campbell laid down the law after the game, and the NFL followed suit.
The team’s defensive back depth takes another hit ahead of a meeting with the red-hot Buccaneers back in primetime. Fellow safety Kerby Joseph continues to battle through a knee injury, and the Lions are missing cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed. They were also without veteran defensive back Avonte Maddox (hamstring) last week.
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