There is no excuse for Brian Branch punching JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Brian Branch says he’s not making one. However, there was a moment that prompted him to sock Smith-Schuster in the mouth.
In his comments following the game, Branch pointed to a violent block in the back he received from Smith-Schuster that went uncalled.
“I did a little childish thing, but I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and the refs don’t catch it,” Branch said. “They be trying to bully me out there and I don’t – I shouldn’t have did it. It was childish.”
Branch continued, “I got blocked in the back illegally. It was in front of the ref, and the ref didn’t do anything-stuff like that. I could’ve gotten hurt off that. But I still shouldn’t have done that. There was a lot of stuff, but I should have showed it between the whistles, not after the game. I apologize for that.”
The NFL is currently reviewing the tape to determine how severely Branch will be fined and/or suspended for sparking the post-game melee.
Regardless of what Branch’s punishment looks like, it will be far from the first time the league has had to discipline him.
As Pro Football Talk reports via Spotrac, “Branch has had three fines already this season. Branch was fined for taunting and for a facemask foul against the Packers, and for a low block against the Ravens. Branch was fined seven times during the 2024 season.”
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