Brian Branch opens up about the heated postgame clash with JuJu Smith-Schuster, shedding light on the tensions that boiled over after a contentious Sunday Night Football matchup.

IMAGE: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) scores a touchdown as Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) defends during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Ken Blaze / Imagn ImagesThe Kansas City Chiefs came away with a 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions, but the headline wasn’t the scoreboard – it was the fireworks that came after the final whistle. What should’ve been a routine postgame celebration turned ugly when tensions between Detroit’s Brian Branch and Kansas City’s JuJu Smith-Schuster finally boiled over.Throughout the game, the two had been going at each other – exchanging hits, jawing between plays, the usual emotional edge that comes from a hard-fought matchup. But things escalated when Branch made a direct move toward Smith-Schuster seconds after the game ended.

As cameras rolled and fans looked on, Branch walked past Patrick Mahomes and headed straight for the Chiefs wideout. Smith-Schuster extended a hand, maybe in an attempt to calm things down, but Branch wasn’t interested in sportsmanship at that point.

He hit JuJu – hard – sending the veteran receiver to the turf.

Smith-Schuster collected himself quickly, got back on his feet, and immediately went after Branch. But before he could do much, Branch grabbed him by the facemask and flung him to the ground again. The skirmish escalated with players from both sidelines moving in, though cooler heads prevailed before things spiraled even further out of control.

After the game, Branch didn’t hide from the moment. He owned up to the outburst, calling it “childish.”

“I did a real childish thing,” he said following the game. “I’m tired of people doing stuff in between plays, and refs don’t catch it.

They be trying to bully me out there. I shouldn’t have did it.”

According to Branch, the spark igniting the postgame blowup was a block in the back from Smith-Schuster on a late-game play. No penalty flag was thrown, and based on the Lions safety’s comments, that lack of officiating intervention added fuel to his growing frustration.

“I got blocked in the back illegally,” Branch said. “And it was in front of the ref, and the ref didn’t do anything.

And just stuff like that. I could’ve got hurt off of that, but I still should not have done that.”

Make no mistake, this wasn’t some heat-of-the-moment scuffle born purely from spontaneous emotion – Branch made a beeline toward Smith-Schuster, clearly intent on confronting him. And when that confrontation turned physical, it didn’t just jeopardize player safety, it also laid the groundwork for NFL discipline to come.

And here’s where things get a little more complicated for the Lions defender. Branch already has a growing history with the league office. He’s been fined three times this season alone, and was hit with seven fines last year – a track record that will only weigh heavier as the NFL reviews this incident.

While the postgame scene was disturbing, it’s also a reminder of the physical toll and emotional intensity packed into every NFL snap – especially in a matchup as charged as this one. But there’s a line, and Branch knows he crossed it.

He said the right things afterward, taking accountability in the moment. Now it’s on the league to determine just how costly that lapse in judgment will be.