Brian Branch Loses Appeal and Misses a Game
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was unsuccessful in his appeal and will have to serve a one-game suspension. The decision was made this Wednesday, after the sanction imposed by the NFL was reviewed. The officer in charge of the hearing was Jordy Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The suspension, announced on Monday, is for unsportsmanlike conduct following an incident in which Branch hit Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, which sparked a brief fight on Sunday night.Branch will miss the Lions’ Monday Night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will be able to return to the active roster the next day.Your aggressive and non-football related action was totally unjustified, represented a serious risk of injury and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players.
Jon Runyan, NFL Vice President of Football Operations, in a letter to Branch.
