Dan Campbell was among the witnesses of the postgame fight between the Lions and Chiefs after the Thanksgiving Sunday Night Football matchup — an incident that grabbed everyone’s attention. He made it clear that while he respects Brian Branch, actions like the one against JuJu Smith-Schuster don’t align with the team’s mentality.
After the game, Campbell didn’t hold back, delivering a firm message about the altercation: “I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not gonna be accepted here,” he said, starting his press conference following what was only the team’s second loss of the season.
Campbell emphasized that such behavior doesn’t represent what the Lions stand for under his leadership. He apologized to Andy Reid and Smith-Schuster, doubling down on his stance during his postgame remarks: “That’s not okay. That’s not what we do here. It’s not gonna be okay.”
It is one of the few times Dan Campbell has spoken with a subdued tone following a Lions loss, and this time, it was not solely about the defeat. At least Branch himself spoke after the game, confessing that his actions toward Smith-Schuster were “quite immature.”
Could Campbell take direct action against Branch?
It is definitely something that could happen. When a player performs poorly on the field, the head coach or any other coach can bench them for a period. This has happened to other players who have had poor performances with fumbles or issues off the field and were sidelined temporarily.
However, the decision regarding fines and potential game checks for Branch’s actions will not be made by Campbell. The coach knows he risks losing a defensive asset who provided 109 tackles and 4 interceptions last season and already had 26 tackles this year, making his absence a significant blow to the defense.