Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch won’t be with the team when it hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on the October 20 edition of “Monday Night Football.”
The ruling came down from the league office after Branch appealed a one-game suspension without pay in the wake of his actions following last Sunday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Hearing officer Jordy Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, has upheld the one-game suspension of Detroit defensive back Brian Branch,” NFL Senior Vice President of Football & International Communications Michael Signora posted to X Wednesday night.
Brian Branch Suspended for Starting Large Fight Between Lions, Chiefs
GettyHead coach Dan Campbell (right) and safety Brian Branch (left) of the Detroit Lions.
Branch started a large-scale brawl following the Chiefs’ 30-17 win over the Lions in Kansas City on “Sunday Night Football” last weekend.
The issue began with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempting to shake Branch’s hand as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Branch shrugged Mahomes off, and Kansas City wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took exception to the snub.
Smith-Schuster’s visible reaction sparked Branch, who struck Smith-Schuster in the face mask. The two tussled and eventually hit the deck, with Mahomes jumping in to intervene.
Soon there were several players from each team involved, some shoving while others were clearly trying to calm down the physical altercation. All three of the initial participants spoke about the incident in its aftermath.
“I mean, we play the game in between the whistles,” Mahomes said during an on-field interview. “They can do all the extra-curricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game between the whistles.”
Branch, meanwhile, spoke with reporters after the game.
“It was a childish thing, but I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it,” Branch said, per ESPN. “They be trying to bully me out there. I should have never did it. It was childish.”
“I could’ve got hurt off of that play,” Branch said of what he claimed was an illegal block by Smith-Schuster during the game. “I still shouldn’t have done that.”
Smith-Schuster also had some words following the contest.
“He’s a great player and he’s huge for [their] team,” Smith-Schuster said of Branch. “After the game, I expected to shake his hand and say, ‘Good game.’ But he threw a punch.”
Lions, Down 3 Starters in Secondary, Will Square Off Against Injured Buccaneers Offense Monday Night
GettyDetroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed.
Detroit will face something of a mountain to climb on Monday night without Branch, as starting cornerbacks D.J. Reed (hamstring/IR) and Terrion Arnold (shoulder) are both out due to injuries.
Branch’s absence means the Lions secondary will be down three starters against one of the more potent offensive attacks in the league through six weeks, led by Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
However, Tampa Bay is also likely to be without several offensive players. The team has already ruled out wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula) and running back Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder), while it appears unlikely that star rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka will play after suffering a hamstring strain last weekend.
Wide receiver Mike Evans, who has missed several games with a hamstring issue of his own, was questionable for the game as of Wednesday.
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