NFL suspends Lions' Brian Branch one game for role in fight following loss to Chiefs

Richard Silva, The Detroit News on Oct 13, 2025

Published in Football

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DETROIT — The NFL has suspended Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for one game without pay for the role he played in a postgame altercation following Sunday night's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Branch, 23, is set to miss Detroit's Week 7 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After the final play of Sunday's game, Branch approached JuJu Smith-Schuster and open-hand smacked the receiver in the face. Smith-Schuster, who was was wearing a helmet, fell down before charging at Branch. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco grabbed Branch, and a scrum ensued. Players and coaches from both sides worked to soon separate the parties involved.

Vice president of football operations Jon Runyan cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 in Branch's suspension, which prohibits unsportsmanlike conduct and applies to "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship."

In a letter to Branch, Runyan wrote: "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. Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game."

Branch will have the opportunity to appeal the suspension. According to a release from the NFL, "any appeal will be heard and decided upon by either Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline."

"I should've never did it," Branch said in the postgame locker room. "It was childish."

Branch explained he was frustrated by Smith-Schuster blocking him in the back toward the end of the game. Replay showed Smith-Schuster shoving Branch to the ground and stepping over him on a run play with about 3:30 remaining. No flag was thrown.

"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."

The Lions' depleted secondary will now have to try to find a way against the Buccaneers without Branch, one of the NFL's best safeties. Cornerback D.J. Reed (IR, hamstring) is out, and the availabilities of Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and Avonte Maddox (hamstring) are in question. All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph (knee) was forced to temporarily leave Sunday's loss due to an aggravated knee injury in the second quarter. It's the second time in three weeks Joseph missed snaps in a game due to an issue with his knee.

Branch had been fined three times entering Week 6, twice against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 (unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness for ripping tight end Tucker Kraft's helmet off and throwing it toward the sideline) and once against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 (unnecessary roughness for a low block).

"It was a lot of stuff, but I should've showed it between the whistle and not after the game," Branch said when asked if there were other things done by the Chiefs that frustrated him. "I apologize for that."

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