Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch has received a one-game suspension. This decision comes after Campbell was the one to engage in a brief altercation with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after the Lions’ 30-17 loss Sunday night. After the eventual victory wrapped up, a larger confrontation erupted on the field. Branch viciously struck Smith-Schuster in the face mask, slamming him to the ground.
When Branch ripped off Smith-Schuster’s helmet, the fight escalated. With no thought to safety, dozens of players from both teams sprinted to the scene to respond. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco attempted to intervene and separate the two players during the chaotic moments that followed the loss.
The league should have punished Branch. He will miss the Lions’ next game, on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Monday. Even with the four-game suspension, Branch will be able to return to the active roster starting the day after his suspension ends. It was what happened during the scuffle that raised the ire of league officials. NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan criticized Branch’s act as “entirely unwarranted” and noted the danger of injury it created.
Discipline Branch has already gotten discipline this year. His fines totaled up to $23,186 for facemask and unsportsmanlike conduct during a game against Green Bay Packers.
Reflecting on his actions, Branch acknowledged his mistake, stating, “It was a childish thing, but I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it. They be trying to bully me out there. I should have never did it. It was childish.”
The situation has gained national headlines due to the threat it poses to Branch’s ability to play. It suggests the increasing leverage – or inquisitiveness, at least – of external interest in player behavior within the league. The NFL goes to such great lengths to police sportsmanship as a form of either keeping a level of professionalism in the sport.
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