Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell apologized to Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for a postgame brawl started by safety Brian Branch on “Sunday Night Football.”
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted to shake the hand of Branch as the final seconds peeled off the clock in Kansas City’s 30-17 victory on Sunday. Branch refused Mahomes’ offering, to which Smith-Schuster took exception.
Branch reacted by striking the wideout in his facemask and knocking Smith-Schuster to the ground. That led to the two tussling on the field. Mahomes jumped in to intervene and shortly after several Lions and Chiefs players were involved in the scrum.
Read More: Stephen A. Smith Calls for NFL Star’s Suspension After Lions-Chiefs Fight
During the postgame press conference, Campbell called out his safety for his actions.
“I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not gonna be accepted here,” Campbell said.
Loading twitter content…
Branch spoke to reporters following the game and offered an explanation for his actions.
“I got blocked in the back illegally [by Smith-Schuster], and it was in front of the ref, and the ref didn’t do anything,” Branch said. “Just stuff like that. I could’ve got hurt off of that. But I still shouldn’t have done it.”
The NFL is likely to punish Branch in some form or fashion for his behavior. If the penalty is a fine, Branch is probably looking at $40,000-plus, which is the amount the league levies for a first offense for fighting, per NFL.com.
A suspension would not be an unprecedented decision, either. The league sidelined defensive tackle Trysten Hill, then of the Dallas Cowboys, for two games without pay in 2021 following a postgame fight he started with a Las Vegas Raiders player following a Thanksgiving Day contest four years ago.
The NFL may also take into account Branch’s extensive history of fineable behavior. Branch has been fined double-digit times across his three years in the league totaling in the range of $180,000.
Detroit takes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) on the October 20 edition of “Monday Night Football” before entering its bye the following week.
Read More: Andy Reid Reveals Chiefs WR Injured in Fight With Lions’ Brian Branch