ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch returned to Tuesday’s practice after serving his one-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct following the Oct. 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Branch broke out in laughter with a smile when asked if his actions merited a suspension following the session.
“I dealt with the consequences they gave me and I’m moving forward now,” Branch said.
The NFL suspended Branch for one game without pay after he struck Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and set off a brief fight at the conclusion of the game. His one-game suspension was upheld upon appeal, but his teammates and coaches were proud to welcome him back to the Meijer Performance Center this week.
“It’s great. BB, he’s got two weeks off now, so he’s got fresh legs. He’s ready to go. A great little bye week in the middle and I’m excited,” Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson said. “BB is one of those guys on our defense that is really the heart and soul and the tone setter so I can’t wait to have him back.”
Branch described it as a “difficult” experience to sit out for Detroit’s 24-9 victory over Tampa Bay on Monday, Oct. 20 ahead of the bye week. He refused to watch the game because he “couldn’t” and it would’ve made him too emotional, but he says he will return to the field with relentless effort and aggression on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
“A lot of motivation. I feel like it’s another chip on my shoulder that they just added,” Branch said. “And I also want to apologize for that, for what I did. That’s something I don’t condone, and it’ll never happen again, but it definitely added another chip to my shoulder.”
Branch, 24, used the time away to reflect on his actions, which drew heavy criticism, and plans to get baptized on Wednesday to turn over a new leaf after going through that experience. “That’s something I’ve been wanting to do, but it’s perfect timing anyway,” Branch said.
A group of his defensive teammates, and coaches, all showed up for the Buccaneers game wearing Branch’s No. 32 Lions jersey — that they purchased — for support. Although Branch didn’t see the live game, he was impressed by the gesture, and felt it brought him closer to the team.
Second-year Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold orchestrated the move by communicating via group text and getting guys on the same page ahead of time.
“We’re very loyal to him,” Lions cornerback Amik Robertson said after the Tampa Bay victory. “We wanted to come out here and once we stepped foot in the building, we wanted to show everybody and show him that we love him and we’re not worried about whatever. We moved on and we can’t wait to have him back.”
Moving forward, Branch is certainly mindful of making better decisions in heated moments, but he will also continue to play as hard as possible. He says he has learned his lesson so his actions won’t hurt the team during this final stretch.
“Not playing with too much emotions,” Branch said. “I feel like I get caught playing with too much emotions and it brings me to that. Now, I still play with the fire just in between the whistle and shoot, now we’re going on a playoff run, so it ain’t none of that.”
