Lions HC Dan Campbell apologizes for Brian Branch’s behavior after game with the Chiefs: “What he did is inexcusable”

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Cambell began Sunday’s postmatch press conference with a strongly-worded critique of Brian Branch, calling his player’s actions “inexcusable.”

After the final kneel-down in Sunday’s Lions loss Branch, a 23-year-old safety, lashed out at Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. The open-handed blow sent Smith-Schuster to the ground, sparking an on-field scuffle as members of both teams attempted to pull the two players apart.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Campbell said: “Let me start with this, I love Brian Branch, 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. I apologized to coach [Andy] Reid and the Chiefs and Schuster. That’s not OK. That’s not what we do here, and it’s not gonna be OK. He knows it, our team knows it. That’s not what we do.”

Branch apologized after the game but also claimed that his actions were the result of an alleged illegal block late on in the game, adding that he had been frustrated that the referee had not called a foul.

“I did a real childish thing,” Branch said. “I’m tired of people doing stuff in between plays and refs don’t catch it. They be trying to bully me out there. I shouldn’t have did it, it was childish.”

“I got blocked in the back illegally,” he continued. “And it was in front of the ref and the ref didn’t do anything. And just stuff like that. I coulda got hurt off a that, but I still should not have done that.”

This is not the first time that Branch has found himself in hot water with the league’s disciplinary committee. Last year he was fined seven times by the league and has already racked up a further three fines across the first few weeks of the 2025 season. This latest infraction will certainly add to his long lists of fines and could result in a suspension.

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