Details on Detroit Lions Defensive Back Brian Branch and His Suspension After Post-Game Altercation

Things can get intense for NFL players on the field, but once a game is over, the high emotions and aggression are expected to stop. Unfortunately for Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch, he apparently didn't get that memo. Per ESPN, the Oct. 12, 2025, game between the Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs ended in a physical altercation between Brian and JuJu Smith-Schuster from the Chiefs.

Afterward, the NFL announced a suspension for Brian during the 2025 season. But the events that led to the incident, and the possible fines that Brian faced afterward, are what many sports fans want to know about. Getting heated during and shortly after a game when a big loss is involved is understandable. But violence is a big no-no as far as the NFL Players Association is concerned.

ESPN reported that, following the Oct. 12 game between the Lions and the Chiefs, where the Chiefs won, Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs' quarterback, attempted to give Brian a high-five. Instead of joining him in it, Brian walked past him. Patrick's fellow Chiefs player, JuJu, approached Brian to talk to him about the snub.

Brian then hit JuJu in the face, though his face covering was still on following the game. JuJu went down, and after he got back up, Brian reportedly ripped off the player's mask, but the fight did not escalate further. As a result, Brian was suspended from one game for the 2025 season. According to the NFL, the league issued a statement that included an open letter to Brian from NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan.

"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," he said. "Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game." Brian's suspension meant he would be able to return to the game on Oct. 21, 2025.

Although no one else was struck during the fight between JuJu and Brian, per multiple outlets, including USA Today, other players converged on the pair after Brian ripped JuJu's mask off following the blow to his face. Afterward, Brian hinted to the outlet that he struck JuJu out of frustration because of alleged plays that a referee failed to call on the game between the Lions and the Chiefs.

He admitted that his decision was "childish," but he also claimed he was being "bullied" out on the field. In videos of the would-be brawl that were shared across social media, players from both the Lions and the Chiefs descend on JuJu and Brian on the field after the game. Before things get too intense in the footage, however, the scuffle is broken up.

In addition to Brian's one-game suspension, per the NFL, he may have also been fined, though the actual amount is unclear at this time. His combined fines for the 2025 season totaled $34,784 at the time of the fight in October 2025. One of those fines, according to NBC News, was $23,186 for penalties involving a face mask and unsportsmanlike conduct during a September 2025 Green Bay Packers game.