Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was the spark of a postgame skirmish on Sunday night, just moments after his team fell 30-17 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Branch, a 23-year-old safety, appeared to ignore a handshake from Patrick Mahomes, which led to a disagreement between him and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. After the final snap of the game, Branch lashed out at Smith-Schuster, who then ran after the Lions defender and caused a mix-up of players from both teams.
While Branch did apologize in front of reporters in the aftermath of the incident, he was considered likely to receive some kind of punishment from the NFL. The league has taken a firm stance on physical interactions between players like the one Branch sparked, and he also has a history of being fined by the NFL, with reasoning from illegal hits to unsportsmanlike conduct.
On Monday, the league announced a suspension for Branch.
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Here’s what to know about the incident, Branch’s suspension and the league’s precedent for similar offenses.
MORE: Full breakdown, angles from skirmish between Brian Branch, Juju Smith-Schuster
Why was Brian Branch suspended?
The NFL has announced a one-game suspension without pay for Branch for his role in the incident with Smith-Schuster.
Should he wind up serving that suspension in Week 7, he’d miss the Lions’ Monday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“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 wrote to Branch, per Tom Pelissero. “Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”
#Lions S Brian Branch, who popped #Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster in the face after the loss to KC, was suspended one game by the NFL.
Detroit plays the #Bucs on MNF. pic.twitter.com/lJC1oi2eSh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 13, 2025
According to The Detroit Free Press, when asked if he expected to hear from the NFL about the fighting incident, Branch initially said “I don’t know.”
Lions head coach Dan Campbell called Branch’s actions “inexcusable” postgame.
“Let me start with this: I love Brian Branch but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not going to be accepted,” Campbell said. “It’s not what we do, it’s not what we’re about. I apologize to Coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs and Schuster. That’s not OK. That’s not what we do here and it’s not going to be OK. He knows it, our team knows it, so that’s not what we do.”
Dan Campbell: “I love Brian Branch but that was inexcusable.” pic.twitter.com/aUwa0i7wqz
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) October 13, 2025
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MORE: Brian Branch’s full history of fines from the NFL
Brian Branch fight with Juju-Smith Schuster
Branch appeared to be already unhappy with both Mahomes and Smith-Schuster by the time Lions-Chiefs concluded. After Mahomes appeared to celebrate in Branch’s direction on a rushing touchdown, then Smith-Schuster hit Branch with a block he thought should have been illegal, the Detroit safety completely ignored Mahomes’ attempt for a handshake as the matchup concluded.
Smith-Schuster seemed to notice that interaction, confronting Branch, who then immediately approached the Chiefs receiver as soon as the final snap was done with. Branch lashed out toward Smith-Schuster, hitting him in the helmet, then Smith-Schuster ran after him as the two wrestled each other to the ground.
Plenty of Lions and Chiefs players got involved trying to break it up, with Branch and Smith-Schuster at the center of it all. The incident left Smith-Schuster walking to the locker room with a towel over his nose.
Fight breaks out at the end of the Chiefs vs Lions game pic.twitter.com/xt6KBj5pC3
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) October 13, 2025
MORE: How the Chiefs took down the Lions in Week 6
Why did Brian Branch fight with Juju Smith-Schuster?
Branch apologized postgame, saying “I shouldn’t have done that” and calling his actions “childish.” However, the safety said he was frustrated by the apparent illegal block in the back from Smith-Schuster earlier in the game.
“I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the plays and the ref don’t catch it, trying to bully me out there. But I should have never did it. It was childish,” Branch said. “I got blocked illegally, and it was in front of the ref. The ref didn’t do anything. … I could have got hurt off of that.”
#Lions’ Brian Branch says he shouldn’t have been involved in the post-game skirmish but claims they were trying to “bully” him out there. “It was childish,” he said.
Branch says he was blocked in the back illegally at the end of the game in front of refs and grew frustrated. pic.twitter.com/yV6CYcM6hl
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 13, 2025
Branch also mentioned there was “a lot of stuff” the Chiefs were doing that were frustrating him, with the Mahomes celebration also a likely mix into that. He added that he “should have showed it between the whistles.”
Mahomes keeps it for the rushing TD!
DETvsKC on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/MaGwHRiiuL— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2025
MORE: Why Lions were called for illegal motion on Jared Goff receiving TD
NFL fighting incidents
One incident similar to the Branch-Smith-Schuster one on Sunday night came in 2021, when Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill punched Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman John Simpson postgame.
Cowboys’ defensive tackle Trysten Hill is being suspended two games for throwing this punch at Las Vegas Raiders’ guard John Simpson after Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day game. The suspension starts Thursday night vs. the Saints. pic.twitter.com/bYLwI2v0gO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 29, 2021
Hill was given a two-game suspension for the incident, which was then changed to one game after an appeal. In the discipline ruling, NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan cited the league rule that prohibits “striking, swinging at, or clubbing the head, neck or face of an opponent with the wrist(s), arm(s), elbow(s), or hand(s),” according to USA Today. League rules also prohibit “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”
Branch’s role in Sunday’s incident would appear to be in violation of those rules, as he swung at Smith-Schuster to begin the skirmish. Because Branch has also been fined plenty of times by the league before, that could have played a role in his suspension, rather than being fined another time.
If players violate a rule, they typically receive a letter from the league explaining what happened with details on the punishment, with the ability to appeal.
MORE: Explaining NFL’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty
