Put away the tinfoil hats: Branch's suspension holds up despite Lions rivalry connects

A former NFC North rival held Branch's Week 7 fate in his hands.
Detroit Lions v Baltimore Ravens
Detroit Lions v Baltimore Ravens | Greg Fiume/GettyImages

Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch had his one-game suspension upheld by the league after an unsuccessful appeal on Wednesday. He will be unavailable for the team's Week 7 tilt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

Branch was put in the dog house for punching Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as time expired in the Lions' 30-17 loss in Week 6. He created a massive scuffle between the teams and later claimed he was frustrated for Smith-Schuster allegedly blocking him in the back on a previous play.

Branch's one-game suspension seemed rather light for how deliberate his actions were but no matter what he did to try and convince the league he should've been given more leniency, it was futile from the start.

Brian Branch's suspension appeal was doomed because of an NFC North rivalry connection

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Branch's appeal officer was former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson. The league and Players Association jointly appointed Nelson to handle Branch's case reportedly.

If Lions fans want to put on their tin foil hats, go ahead but the suspension was always going to be upheld no matter who was handling Branch's case. You can't realistically believe Branch had any justification for lowering his punishment to just another fine, especially with his history.

Lions fans should put away their tinfoil hats

Branch has had to pay out more than a dozen fines in his first two seasons as an NFL player, seven of them during the 2024-25 campaign alone.

This is the first time Branch has been suspended by the league but giving him the benefit of the doubt with just a single game sentence after this kind of incident sets a bad precedent for other young players with potential discipline issues.

Regardless of Nelson's previous employment or alliances in the NFC North when he was a player, he made the right decision when judging Branch's appeal. Now it's time for the 23-year-old to serve his time and hopefully reflect on his poor actions.