Brian Branch suspension: NFL releases statement on Lions safety's 1-game ban

Brian Branch suspension: NFL releases statement on Lions safety's 1-game ban originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch is paying the price for his open-handed punch to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster that sparked a brawl between the two teams on Monday night following KC's 30-17 win.

The NFL announced it is suspending Branch one game for his inexcusable actions. That means Branch will be sidelined for the Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Monday.

A statement from NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan read:

“Your aggressive, non-football act was entirely unwarranted, posed a serious risk of injury, and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players. Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game."

The NFL added in its announcement that Branch will be eligible to be activated back to the Lions' 53-man roster on Oct. 21.

Branch's absence is yet another blow to a Lions secondary already missing multiple starters. Cornerback D.J. Reed is on injured reserve for at least the next two games and Terrion Arnold isn't certain to play against the Bucs.

As if all that wasn't enough, fellow safety Kerby Joseph is battling a knee injury that had him in and out of the Week 6 game.

"I love Brian Branch, but what he did was inexcusable," head coach Dan Campbell said. "It's not going to be accepted here. It's not what we do. I apologize to coach (Andy) Reid and the Chiefs and Schuster. That's not OK. That's not what we do here, and it's not going to be OK. He knows it, our team knows it. That's not what we do."

“I did a little 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 and I don’t – I shouldn’t have did it. It was childish," Branch said of his actions.

Branch is no stranger to financial punishments, as he's been fined multiple times this season alone. Now, he'll serve the first ban of his NFL career.

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