Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin didn’t hold back when asked about the postgame brawl between Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch and Kansas City Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The fight broke out after the Chiefs’ 30-17 win Sunday night when Branch punched Smith-Schuster in the facemask.
_Zaire Franklin Reveals Why JuJu Smith-Schuster Needed a Reality Check
_Zaire Franklin Reveals Why JuJu Smith-Schuster Needed a Reality Check (Image credit: X/@eke03official)
Branch walked past a handshake attempt from Patrick Mahomes and immediately went after Smith-Schuster. The punch sent JuJu to the turf holding his face, and Andy Reid later confirmed “pretty good damage” to his nose. The league suspended Branch one game without pay, costing him $76,624.
Surprisingly, the Colt linebacker thinks that Branch did absolutely the right thing because Juju deliberately needed the punishment.
Zaire Franklin Reveals Why JuJu Smith-Schuster Needed a Reality Check
Franklin appeared on Jeff Teague’s Club 520 Podcast and passionately defended Branch’s actions. The 29-year-old captain didn’t hold back while quoting his assessment regarding the post-brawl moment.
“JuJu needed his a— whooped,” Franklin said. “He been needing his a— whooped for a minute. Brian Branch (is) doing the work of the Lord.”
Franklin broke down exactly why Smith-Schuster rubbed defenders the wrong way. “He’s an a**hole, bro…This is my thing. I’m gonna talk greasy to you. We gonna go right up. And when we get that one-on-one, I ain’t gonna duck the smoke,” Franklin explained.
He continued, “So if I win or lose, it is what it is…He the type that’s gonna do all the little weird, sneaky stuff, push you behind the back, go run to the ref…then try to be cool with you after.”
Surprisingly, Branch admitted his reaction was “childish” but said it came from built-up frustration. “I’m tired of people doing stuff in between plays, and refs don’t catch it. They be trying to bully me out there,” he said.
Lions coach Dan Campbell also called Branch’s actions “inexcusable” and apologized to Andy Reid and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Still, Franklin is solid in his point that Juju needed an absolute reality check, and Branch offered that in the best way possible.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Posts Shameless TikTok Hours After Getting Punched
Days after the bloody altercation, Smith-Schuster broke his silence, posting a short TikTok video of himself dancing while his dog made a special appearance. The clip has since turned viral online.
Pep shared his clip on X, without any caption where Juju was looking like an OG TikTok lover.
pic.twitter.com/3MLIzAOTmN
— PEP (@pahrduve) October 9, 2025
The video shows the NFL star dancing to a trending song, with his bulldog making a cameo. The poor pet has no idea why his owner was moving like this. JuJu’s usual goofy energy is on full display, showing no sign of the fight or the criticism.