Brian Branch Suspended After Appeal
The one-game suspension of Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was upheld after an appeal filed on Wednesday. Jordy Nelson, jointly designated by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, acted as the hearing officer. On Monday, the NFL suspended Branch for one game without pay due to unsportsmanlike conduct. This occurred after the player impacted Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, which triggered a brief altercation on Sunday night.Branch will miss Monday night’s Lions game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will be able to return to the active roster the next day.“His aggressive and non-football related act was completely unjustified, posed 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. “His conduct tarnished the image of the NFL and has no place in our game.”
Jon Runyan