The Detroit Lions will be without starting safety Brian Branch on Monday night when they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL announced that Branch’s one-game suspension has been upheld by hearing officer Jordy Nelson. (Naturally, the fact that Nelson is in the Packers Hall of Fame won’t sit well with Lions fans.)
Branch sparked a postgame brawl by striking Chiefs wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster in the facemask right after Sunday night’s contest in Kansas City. The league handed down the suspension the following day. His previous record—ten fines in just two seasons—likely worked against him.
Branch will be cleared to rejoin the team on Tuesday. Veteran defensive back Avonte Maddox is expected to step into the starting role for Detroit.
The matchup is among Week 7’s most anticipated games, with the 5-1 Buccaneers looking to hold off the Falcons in the NFC South and strengthen their pursuit of the NFC’s top seed. A defeat would mark the Lions’ third of the year, surpassing their entire loss total from 2024, when they finished 15-2.
