Lions Coach Dan Campbell Rips Brian Branch For Igniting Postgame Brawl Vs. Chiefs
Lions' Dan Campbell Rips Brian Branch For Fighting ... 'What He Did Is Inexcusable'
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Dan Campbell took Brian Branch to task on Sunday night ... ripping his star player for igniting a brawl following Detroit's loss to the Chiefs.
The wild incident occurred just seconds after the Lions fell to Kansas City, 30-17, on Sunday night ... when Branch hit JuJu Smith-Schuster in the mouth for the way he blocked him earlier in the game.
Loser energy from Brian Branch. Every post-game players shake hands and give respect to their opponents
— Dalton Feely (@dfeely14) October 13, 2025 @dfeely14
Ignoring Patrick Mahomes is petty but isn't a big deal, smacking Juju Smith-Schuster is RIDICULOUS pic.twitter.com/LAuj7Dd1Lh
The smack started a melee -- with multiple players from both sides jumping in to try to break things up.
Once the dust cleared, Campbell met with reporters ... and slammed Branch for his behavior.
"I love Brian Branch," the head coach said. "But what he did is inexcusable. And it's not going to be accepted here. It's not what we do. It's not what we're about."
Campbell then apologized to Andy Reid, Smith-Schuster, and the entire Chiefs organization.
#Lions’ Brian Branch says he shouldn’t have been involved in the post-game skirmish but claims they were trying to “bully” him out there. “It was childish,” he said.
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 13, 2025 @E_Woodyard
Branch says he was blocked in the back illegally at the end of the game in front of refs and grew frustrated. pic.twitter.com/yV6CYcM6hl
Branch, meanwhile, also issued a mea culpa during his postgame talk with journalists ... explaining an uncalled block in the back late in the fourth quarter is what set him off. He called his actions "childish."
End zone view of the block in the back by Juju Smith-Schuster on Brian Branch. pic.twitter.com/YBUpuGlslw
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) October 13, 2025 @FootballGuy_Al
No word yet from the NFL on what the punishment will be for the star safety -- although it's safe to assume his wallet will be significantly lighter at some point this week.
