The NFL on Monday suspended Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for one game without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct after he struck Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and set off a brief fight Sunday night.
“Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players,” NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote in a letter to Branch. “Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”
Branch plans to appeal the suspension, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The appeal would be heard by a hearing officer jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
Branch is set to miss the Lions’ game next Monday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will be eligible to return to the active roster the following day.
After Detroit’s 30-17 loss at Kansas City on Sunday night, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tried to give Branch a high-five as they met near midfield. Branch walked past Mahomes, and Smith-Schuster took umbrage with the move, walking up to Branch and having a few words with him.
Branch responded by striking Smith-Schuster in his facemask, sending him to the ground.
Smith-Schuster leaped to his feet and went after Branch. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco tried to get between them, but Branch succeeded in ripping off Smith-Schuster’s helmet as dozens of players from both teams converged on the scrum.
Eventually, coaches and players separated the parties, and they finally left the field for the locker room.
“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 after the game. “They be trying to bully me out there. I should have never did it. It was childish.”
Branch also was fined $23,186 for facemask and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Green Bay Packers last month.
Branch’s plan to appeal the suspension was first reported by NFL Network.
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
