Lions defensive backs uplift suspended S Brian Branch with perfect gesture after Week 7 win over Buccaneers
Showing support for their teammate.
The Detroit Lions’ defensive backs showed immense support for one of their teammates on Monday night, who was missing in action from the team’s primetime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following the game, cornerback Amik Robertson walked up to the podium in a No. 32 jersey, and all the other defensive backs joined him in this gesture.
It was to honor Brian Branch.
“That was our goal to go out there and support him because we’re always in his corner,” Robertson told reporters (via The Detroit Free Press). “Great player, an unbelievable person, great teammate. We wanted to go out there represent him and when we stepped in the building, we wanted him to know that we’re in his corner no matter what. We love him. We can’t wait to have him back.”
Branch was forced to miss the game because he was serving a one-game suspension due to an incident that occurred between the Lions’ safety and Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 6. The altercation began when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went over to shake Branch’s hand, but the defensive back ignored the gesture, instead walking right past him and brushing it off. Smith-Schuster saw this interaction and wasn’t having it. He confronted Branch, appearing to have said something about this disrespectful act. Branch then came right over and took a shot at Schuster, shoving him in the face. Smith-Schuster went after Branch, and from there, both teams started to get into it. Smith-Schuster was left with a bloody nose.
The league disciplined Branch, suspending him for one game without pay due to unsportsmanlike conduct. He appealed the decision, but ultimately the league upheld the suspension.
Kansas City Chiefs faced no discipline for this altercation
While Branch was suspended, the Chiefs faced no discipline for their role in the altercation. On Saturday, it was revealed that neither Mahomes nor Smith-Schuster was fined, even though Lions fans were upset because they believed Kansas City’s quarterback should have been called for taunting, while they wanted Smith-Schuster to be called for the violent block in the back that led to Branch’s actions.
Kansas City Chiefs News
NFL says all it needs to say about Brian Branch-JuJu Smith-Schuster incident based on one key aspect
They made it very clear.
