The clock struck zero on Sunday Night Football and Detroit Lions‘ Brian Branch struck Kansas City Chiefs‘ JuJu Smith-Schuster. After a 30-17 loss, the safety was not happy and after snubbing a handshake from Patrick Mahomes, he went on to start a physical confrontation with the wideout.
It all evolved into a team vs. team scuffle, and Smith-Schuster ended up bleeding from the nose. Less than a day later, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the NFL will suspend Brian Branch for one game without pay. The report also states that the player can appeal the suspension under the CBA statutes.
Branch is not only one of the best safeties in the league, but he is also known to be a bit of a hothead. The Lions pride themselves on playing with attitude, moxie and grit, but Branch might have just taken it too far.
Branch has a long history of fines
This is Branch’s third NFL season. However, he’s accumulated more fines than some players do in a career. During last year, he was fined seven times. This is now his fourth of 2025.
Per Pro Sports Transactions, Branch has now paid over $100,000 in fines during his three-year career. Much of the fines come from attitude issues more than bad football play. You’ll find most of them are unsportsmanlike conducts, tauntings, etc.
Branch already had one fine for fighting
While most fines come from in-game action, fighting itself is no part of football. Yes, it’s a contact sport, but there are rules to follow. However, in September 2024 Branch was fined $10,128 for fighting as he punched then-Cardinals’ tight end Tip Reiman during a field goal attempt.
Branch must fix his ways, otherwise, the league will start punishing him harder and harder. Now, it’s not money only, but also a game. Next time, it could be even more, and that’s a tough loss for a Lions team that need his output.
