Lions' Brian Branch suspension appeal reportedly decided by Packers Super Bowl legend

Lions' Brian Branch suspension appeal reportedly decided by Packers Super Bowl legend originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Detroit Lions’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday ended in unforgettable fashion. After the game, Detroit’s Brian Branch was frustrated and got into an altercation with JuJu Smith-Schuster, which quickly escalated into a full-on brawl. As a result, Branch was handed a one-game suspension.

“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," NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote to Branch in a letter. "Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”

When it was all said and done, Branch admitted that his actions were immature.

“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.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell didn’t hold back his disappointment either.

“I love Brian Branch, but what he did was inexcusable," 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."

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Branch’s suspension was upheld on Wednesday, and the person who made the final ruling was a former Green Bay Packer.

“The hearing officer in Brian Branch’s appeal was Jordy Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed.

This is an interesting development — one that many feel could have been avoided. The timing and optics of this decision don’t look great.

Both the Lions and Chiefs are fighting to position themselves as NFC contenders, and Branch’s appeal ended up in the hands of a Packers legend. Whether or not Branch ever had a real shot at winning, the fact that Nelson was allowed to handle the appeal doesn’t seem like the best move.