Lions’ Coach Dan Campbell Apologizes For Brian Branch Striking JuJu Smith-Schuster After Chiefs’ Victory

Tensions erupted at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday night after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Detroit Lions 30-17, when Lions safety Brian Branch struck Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster following the game.

The players met near midfield. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes extended his hand to reach for a high-five from Branch, but a Detroit defender brushed past him. Smith-Schuster stepped in to confront Branch, and things quickly escalated.

Branch hit Smith-Schuster in the facemask, which knocked him to the ground. This triggered a brief brawl between players from both sides before the staff had to intervene.

Later, Branch admitted he lost his composure. “[I] reacted out of frustration after what he felt were ‘uncalled penalties’ earlier in the game,” he said. Smith-Schuster, who left with a bloody nose, said he tried to shake hands and move on. “I was doing my job. I didn’t expect that at all,” he told reporters.

Lions Coach Dan Campbell condemned the incident and apologized to the Chiefs coach Andy Reid, emphasizing that “Branch’s behavior does not reflect the team’s values. It is not who we are; he knows it, and the team knows it.”

Branch, already fined this season, could face additional discipline from the league. The altercation overshadowed a disappointing performance from Detroit, whose four-game win streak came to an end. Kansas City outgained the Lions with 355 total yards, while Mahomes led a steady offensive attack. The Lions will now regroup and look to regain their composure before returning home next week.

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Article by Ed Middlecoff