NFL announces Bryan Branch’s punishment for Detroit Lions after ‘SNF’ fight

Updated – 10/13/25, 5:20 PM ET: The NFL has announced a punishment for the Detroit Lions safety Bryan branch After he instigated the fight Sunday Night Football vs. Kansas City Chiefs.

Branch, 23, was suspended for one match without pay for his role in the incident, which occurred on Sunday, October 12.

“Your aggressive, non-football behavior was completely unprovoked, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players,” the NFL’s vice president of football operations said. John Runyan He said in a letter to the branch. “Your behavior has reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”

Branch will be eligible to return to the Lions’ active roster on Tuesday, October 21, following the team’s game on Monday, October 20 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Monday Night Football.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, the branch may appeal the suspension.

Original story below:

Detroit Lions safety Bryan branch He explained why he’s pursuing the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday Night FootballWhich led to a major conflict between the two teams.

Branch, 23, hit Smith-Schuster, 28, via face mask after the Chiefs’ 30-17 win over the Lions at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, October 12. Smith-Schuster fell to the ground and collapsed This action sparked a chaotic battle involving both teams and their crew members near the midfield.

After returning to the locker room, Branch explained that he believed Smith-Schuster blocked him from behind near the end of the game, which the officials did not detect.

“I could have been hurt on that play,” Branch told reporters. “I still shouldn’t have done that.”

Branch added: “It was childish, but I’m tired of people doing things between plays that the refs don’t catch. They try to bully me out there. I should never have done that. It was childish.”

Smith-Schuster took issue with Branch’s interpretation of events after the game, telling reporters that he was “just holding him back.”

“I’m just doing my job,” Smith-Schuster added. “I play between the whistles.”

Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbellwho found himself in the middle of the chaos and in a tense exchange with the Chiefs quarterback Patrick MahomesHe addressed the incident after the match.

“I love Brian Branch,” Campbell, 49, said. “But what he did is unforgivable, and he will not be accepted here. This is not what we do. This is not who we are. I have apologized to the coach (dew) Reed The Chiefs and Smith-Schuster. This is not good. That’s not what we do here. It won’t be okay. He knows that. Our team knows this. That’s not what we do.”

Veteran Lions defensive end dj reader He said he plans to talk to Branch about his behavior in the coming days.

“We’ll have that conversation,” Reeder, 31, told reporters after the game. “It’s hard to have that conversation right now because everyone’s trying to have the conversation. I’m sure I’ll get a chance to talk to him, but it’s hard because he has that bite for a reason as a player and you never want to take that away from him, but you also want him to be smart. Not just for us, but also for himself. To protect his money, to protect him.”

Mahomes, 30, echoed Smith-Schuster’s sentiments during his postgame interview with an NBC reporter. Melissa Stark.

“I mean, we play the game between the sirens,” Mahomes said. “They can do all the extracurricular things they want to do. But we play the game between the sirens.”

Mahomes later told reporters during his postgame press conference, “This is a physical team, and they have a mentality that they come to play with, and we’re going to match that mentality. We’re not afraid to go up against anyone. That’s the mentality that Coach Reed brings every day, and we’re going to match the intensity of everyone who steps on that field.”