The Detroit Lions are standing up for safety Brian Branch after a video surfaced that they viewed as disrespectful toward the young defensive back.

On Thursday, NFL Films posted a clip on social media as part of its “Turning Point” series, intended to show what led to Branch’s anger at the end of Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The footage featured several plays where Branch was either beaten or took a hard hit, narrated by analyst Louis Riddick.

After strong backlash from Lions fans, who felt the video unfairly singled out Branch, the league deleted the clip. In a statement to The Athletic, NFL Films explained that while the segment worked within the full nine-minute episode, it “felt overly critical to Brian Branch” when isolated and lacked proper context.

Riddick, who narrated the video, released his own message on X, clarifying that there was never an intent to produce a “hit piece” against Branch. He added that he understood how the short version “could be seen as trying to portray the Lions or Brian Branch in a negative light.”

Detroit players, however, still took issue with the video.

“I thought that video was wild. I don’t know why they dropped it or what the point was,” wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “When I saw it, I honestly thought it was fake. I clicked on the NFL page and was shocked it was real. I still don’t understand why they’d post something like that.”

Defensive tackle DJ Reader also voiced concern, saying the clip made him question whether he could “trust the shield” and if the league would support him in the future.

Branch’s outburst, which ended with him throwing a punch at JuJu Smith-Schuster, resulted in a one-game suspension. That ruling was already disputed by several Lions players, and the video’s release only deepened their belief that the league was trying to damage Branch’s reputation. Though that may not have been the intention, the lack of full context made it feel like unnecessary piling on.