Chiefs WR Juju Smith-Schuster’s immediate reaction to Brian Branch scuffle
The Kansas City Chiefs walked away from the Detroit Lions game with a 30-17 win, but the postgame focus shifted toward the short-lived brawl involving JuJu Smith-Schuster and Brian Branch. The two players had been exchanging hits throughout the game, and tensions finally boiled over after the final whistle. Smith-Schuster spoke about the incident afterward, offering a mix of respect and disappointment.
According to The Athletic’s Jesse Newell, JuJu Smith-Schuster said, “He’s a great player, right? He’s huge for the team. I think after the game, I expect to shake his hand and say, ‘Good game’ and move Pat’s way. But he threw a punch, and at the end of the day, it’s a team sport, right? We came out here. We did our job, and we won. And that’s all that matters.” His calm response stood out, showing professionalism in the middle of chaos.
The Chiefs receiver had been targeted several times by Brian Branch during the game, including moments that appeared to test the boundaries of physical play. But Smith-Schuster refused to escalate the situation further. Instead, he chose to focus on the Chiefs’ victory and the team effort that secured it. The discipline shown by the veteran wideout echoed the mentality that the Chiefs has built under Andy Reid, staying composed even when emotions flare.
As for the Lions, Branch later apologized for his part in the confrontation, admitting frustration with what he felt were missed penalties earlier in the game. The apology may not erase what happened, but it adds perspective to a heated matchup that highlighted both teams’ intensity.
In the end, JuJu Smith-Schuster’s reaction summed up the Chiefs’ approach, handle business, stay united, and move forward. The Chiefs know emotions can run high in games like these, but victories matter more than scuffles. The question now is whether the next Chiefs-Lions meeting will bring more fireworks and another brawl or renewed respect.
Browns Insider Shoots Down Trade Rumors on $54.75M Star Offensive Weapon
The Cleveland Browns have been active in the trade market, but it appears they won’t be trading one impact offensive weapon.
Cleveland has already dealt Joe Flacco and Greg Newsome II and could look to trade off more pieces before the trade deadline. However, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot reported on X that Cleveland is unlikely to trade star tight end David Njoku.
“The #Browns will likely make more trades, but are not looking to sell off key players such as TE David Njoku. (But they also didn’t plan to trade Joe Flacco or Greg Newsome II),” Cabot wrote.
Njoku is in the final year of his four-year, $54.75 million deal with the Browns. With him being a pending free agent, many thought his name could come up in trade talks. Especially with rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in line to get more snaps.
But, according to Cabot, Cleveland doesn’t want to trade Njoku, and the tight end should finish off the year with the Browns.
Njoku has recorded 23 receptions for 223 yards and 1 touchdown this season.
Njoku Suffers Injury in Week 6
Cleveland did get some bad news about Njoku on Sunday as the star tight end suffered an injury.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski revealed postgame on Sunday that Njoku suffered an injury to his knee, and not his thigh as initially reported. It’s unclear the severity of the injury.
Before exiting the game with an injury, Njoku finished the game with three catches for 28 yards on six targets. The star tight end has been a safety blanket for rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but if Njoku does miss some time, Fannin Jr. will have to step up.
Fannin Jr. was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by Cleveland. He’s recorded 28 receptions for 254 yards and a touchdown this season.
Browns Offense Needs to be Better
Cleveland suffered a 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in a game the Browns failed to score a touchdown. It was a disappointing result for the offense.
Following the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear the offense has to get better and find ways to get into the end zone.
“We’ve got to find a way to score points. We’ve got to run the ball efficiently,” Stefanski said. “Got to find a way to be better in the pass game. All of the above.. We’re doing some things right now that are preventing us from winning. We’ll get it fixed.”
Cleveland will host the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
Stefanski Could Give Up Play-Calling
Following Cleveland’s failure to find the endzone, the Browns could make a major change on offense.
Stefanski revealed he’s considering giving up the offensive play-calling in hopes it sparks the offense.
“Stefanski said ‘there’s a long list of things we gotta do better’ in an answer that included potentially changing play-callers,” Zac Jackson of The Athletic reported via X.
If Stefanski does give up play-calling, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees would likely call the offensive plays. Rees spent last season as Cleveland’s Pass game specialist and tight ends coach after he was the Alabama Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator in 2023.
