The NFL and NFL Players Association had their hands full with the aftermath from Monday’s 30-17 Kansas City Chiefs win over the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football,” which had seemingly everyone talking about the controversial extracurricular activities after the clock hit all zeros.
After the game ended, Lions safety Brian Branch sparked a benches-clearing brawl on the field when he struck Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in the face after the wideout tried to shake his hand.
Branch later apologized for his actions, but he was handed a one-game suspension for his actions. He’ll miss Detroit’s Week 7 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after his appeal was denied.
While the Branch/Smith-Schuster altercation dominated the headlines and required immediate action from the league, some wondered if Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes would face any sort of discipline for his actions in the first half of that game.
In the final 60 seconds of the second quarter, Mahomes punched in a 1-yard touchdown to cap off an eight-play, 55-yard drive and put KC up 13-10 heading into halftime. But after he scored, Mahomes taunted Branch, dropping the ball, pointing at the third-year defensive back and wiping off his jersey as he flexed his bicep.
The play could have warranted a fine from the NFL, which informed teams back in August that it would be cracking down on unsportsmanlike behavior this season, especially when it comes to taunting, which Mahomes’ celebration certainly fell under.
However, the league seemingly deemed his actions not punishment-worthy, saving Mahomes from an $11,593 first-offense taunting penalty.
The league considers taunting any behavior that “uses baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams,” per Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of the NFL rule book.
The two-time MVP is no stranger to league reprimands. He was hit with a massive $50,000 fine for verbally abusing officials back in 2023, and he was slapped with a $14,000 fine for a violent gesture during a game against the Buffalo Bills last season.
