With the Kansas City Chiefs taking care of business against the Detroit Lions, 30-17, more and more is being said about what happened immediately after the game. There is a lot of intensity and emotion when a game is played, but competitors usually show a ton of respect once it concludes.
What Caused the Fight Between JuJu Smith-Schuster and Brian Branch?
Chiefs WR Juju Smith-Schuster came to the defense of his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, when Lions safety Brian Branch didn’t shake hands after the game, after Mahomes had extended a hand to Branch. Smith-Schuster had words for Branch after he snubbed Mahomes, and it escalated very quickly.
JuJu Smith-Schuster had a towel over his nose as he made his way back to the locker room, via @SportsRadio810:
pic.twitter.com/r8BzzGtFKx https://t.co/f06TKMYqoz
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 13, 2025
It appears that some severe damage was inflicted on Smith-Schuster’s nose. Competitors exchanging words and hands being thrown are two different levels of gamesmanship, and the line that is seldom crossed was crossed here.
With Rashee Rice set to return next week for Kansas City, his role on the field is uncertain going forward, but it is clear that he has his guys back, which is extremely valuable to a team.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell opened his press conference by saying, “I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not gonna be accepted here.” While this statement was a classy move from Campbell, the immediate reaction of an apology shows the magnitude of the line that Branch crossed.
Will Branch Face Discipline From the NFL?
In any situation like this, the NFL reviews all the tapes of what happened and hands out any suspensions if necessary. This won’t be his first call from the league, as, while never previously suspended, Branch has faced fines for his conduct on the field.
A real-life example of what Branch’s punishment could look like is when former Cowboys DT Trysten Hill punched former Raiders offensive lineman John Simpson after a game the Raiders won in overtime in 2021.
Hill was given a two-game suspension without pay, and the rule that NFL Vice President of Football Operations cited a violation of was, “Rule 12, Section 2, Article 14(c) which prohibits striking, swinging at, or clubbing the head, neck, or face of an opponent with the wrist(s), arm(s), elbow(s), or hand(s), as well as Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 which prohibits any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”
Branch’s actions seem to have violated the same rule that Hill did in 2021, and Branch forced an injury that could potentially cause Smith-Schuster to miss time. If Branch is suspended for any time, it would be a massive blow to the Lions’ already depleted secondary, as he grades as the 18th-best safety in the NFL, per our PFSN Safety Impact rankings, and the Lions are already without five of their top six cornerbacks due to injury.