Brian Branch gets 1-game suspension for punching Chiefs’ receiver
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was suspended for one game without pay by the NFL on Monday for unsportsmanlike conduct following a loss at Kansas City.
Branch punched Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday night, setting off a postgame melee.
“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,” Jon Runyan, league vice president of football operations, wrote in a letter to Branch. “Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”
Detroit (4-2) will host NFC South-leading Tampa Bay (5-1) without Branch, another blow for a team with a banged-up secondary.
Branch will be eligible to return to the active roster on Tuesday, Oct. 21, during the team’s bye week ahead of its home game against NFC North rival Minnesota on Nov. 2.
After Kansas City beat Detroit 30-17, quarterback Patrick Mahomes extended his hand toward Branch and the third-year pro walked past the superstar. Smith-Schuster then walked toward Branch. They exchanged a few words and Branch responded by throwing a right hook that knocked Smith-Schuster to the ground.
Smith-Schuster leapt to his feet and went after Branch. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco tried to get between them, but Branch ripped Smith-Schuster’s helmet off as a slew of players converged on the scrum.
Smith-Schuster came away with a bloody nose.
“I did a little 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 and I don’t — I shouldn’t have did it. It was childish.”
Branch was fined $23,186 for facemask and unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties against Green Bay last month.
“I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable, and it’s not going to be accepted here,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Sunday night. “It’s not what we do. It’s not what we’re about. I apologized to coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs, and Smith-Schuster. That’s not OK. That’s not what we do here. It’s not going to be OK. He knows it. Our team knows it. That’s not what we do.”
Detroit drafted Branch out of Alabama in the second round in 2023 and he has been one of the franchise’s top players during its recent run of success. He was a Pro Bowl player last season after finishing fifth in voting for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Philadelphia Eagles' rookie could be the answer to replacing Za'Darius Smith and Nick Sirianni isn't ruling out the option
The Philadelphia Eagles were surprised this week after edge rusher Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday.
His abrupt exit leaves the Eagles with a major hole to fill, but they could have his replacement in rookie Jihaad Campbell.
Campbell has been dominating as an inside linebacker all season long, racking up 40 tackles, one quarterback hit, a tackle for loss, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception.
However, playing outside isn’t anything new to him after spending his college career at Alabama doing just that.
Nick Sirianni Isn’t Ruling Out the Possibility of Moving Campbell to the Outside
When asked by reporters this week if the team would consider putting Campbell on the edge, head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t rule out the option.
“I think that we have a lot of versatility there and that we have a really good linebacker room altogether,” Sirianni said. “We look at everything. We look at everything that we can do to help our team be as successful as we possibly can. So again, we’ll see. I’m not going to talk through some of those things, obviously. I think you guys respect that with not giving opponents any information or anything like that.”
With Smith’s retirement, Philly is currently forced to lean on Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Jalyx Hunt, and Patrick Johnson off the edge.
Sirianni made note that he is confident in the Eagles’ current depth, but he also mentioned his excitement to have Nakobe Dean back in the lineup.
“But really excited about the room,” he said. “Excited to get Nakobe back in there rolling because we know the type of player he is.”
Campbell took reps on the inside and outside throughout training camp. He has also taken a few real game reps on the edge. If the Eagles can’t find someone on the outside to sign or trade for, Campbell makes a ton of sense.
