Brian Branch had reached his limit with the Chiefs’ behavior.
After the Lions fell to the Chiefs 30-17 on Sunday night, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted to shake Branch’s hand, but things quickly turned chaotic.
Branch declined Mahomes’ handshake and then approached receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, slapping him and igniting a significant brawl between the two teams.
It’s likely that Branch will face some consequences from the league, as NFL Network reported his actions are under review.
Video footage captured Branch being blindsided by the veteran wide receiver during a run play with just over three minutes left in the game, which nearly put it away.
Smith-Schuster raced down the sideline, colliding with Branch from behind before stepping over him. It almost felt reminiscent of an old NBA Finals moment.
No flag was issued during that incident, which had some questioning whether it should have been.
After the match, Branch criticized the play and justified his reaction, stating, “I could have gotten hurt.”
“It was immature, sure, but I keep seeing players do things in between plays and the refs missing it,” Branch explained. “They’re trying to push me around. I probably shouldn’t have reacted that way. It was childish.”
Lions head coach Dan Campbell held Branch accountable for instigating the situation.
“I care about Brian, but what he did was unacceptable and won’t be tolerated here,” Campbell remarked at a press conference. “That’s not the standard we hold or what we represent, and I sincerely apologize to Coach [Andy] Reid and the Chiefs [Smith-Schuster]. It’s not what we’re about.”
Detroit can’t afford to lose Branch, especially with injuries sidelining DJ Reed and Terrion Arnold for several weeks.
Next up, the Lions (4-2) will face off against the league’s top team in Week 7 as they take on the Buccaneers on “Monday Night Football.”
