Brian Branch: Suspension of a match confirmed after appeal

Brian Branch Loses Appeal and Misses a Game

The suspension of a game for Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was upheld after an appeal filed on Wednesday. The hearing officer was Jordy Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The NFL suspended Branch for one game without pay on Monday due to unsportsmanlike conduct after he hit Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, which led to a brief fight on Sunday night.

“Your aggressive and non-football related act was totally unjustified, represented a serious risk of injury and clearly violated the standards of conduct and sportsmanship expected of NFL players,” wrote NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan in a letter to Branch explaining the suspension. “Your conduct reflected poorly on the NFL and has no place in our game.”

Jon Runyan, Vice President of Football Operations of the NFL

Branch will miss Monday night’s Lions game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will be eligible to return to the active roster the next day.