Lions’ Brian Branch Makes Promise Following Return From Suspension
Posted October 29, 2025
Defensive back Brian Branch already plays with a chip on his shoulder for the Detroit Lions. In fact, he plays with a chip so big, it’s so easy to notice while watching the Lions defense.
But following his return from a one-game suspension Tuesday, Branch told the team’s official website that he will a man even more driven.
Branch also added he will bring that extra drive while never again doing what he did to get suspended.
“A lot of motivation,” Branch said of facing the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, via Detroitlions.com’s Tim Twentyman. “It’s another chip on my shoulder they just added.
“I do want to apologize for what I did, that’s something I don’t condone, and will never happen again, but (the suspension) definitely added another chip to my shoulder.”
Branch served a one-game suspension for a postgame incident that occurred against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. The Lions defensive back punched Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after not accepting a postgame handshake from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Branch sat out the Week 7 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions then had a bye in Week 8.
Lions’ Brian Branch Admits Mistake, Now ‘Moving Forward’
Anybody who plays will tell fans that football is an emotional game. But a lot of the game is about harnessing that emotion and channeling it in the correct manner.
Branch failed to do that after the final whistle against the Chiefs. On Tuesday, he addressed the adjustments he plans to make to avoid committing that mistake again.
“Not playing with too much emotions,” Branch told reporters, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “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.”
The Lions defense turned in an impressive outing without Branch in Week 7. The team held the high-flying Buccaneers to just nine points.
But the Lions don’t want to play anymore games without Branch this season. That’s especially the case with the other injuries the team is currently dealing with in the secondary.
Branch is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the entire NFL.
This season, Branch has 33 combined tackles, including four tackles for loss and five pass defenses. Last year, he posted 109 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, 16 pass defenses and four interceptions.
Behind those numbers, Branch made his first Pro Bowl in 2024.
“I’m really excited to see how he takes the field on Sunday. It’s great to have him back,” Lions defensive assistant and safeties coach Jim O’Neil said Tuesday, via Twentyman. “He’s one of my all-time favorite people and all-time favorite players I ever coached. I love his competitive spirit. I’m excited to get him back out there.
“It’s scary. Scary because he’s clearly one of the best players at his position in the league.”
Branch Bringing Fresh Legs for Lions in Week 9
With the bye week now in the rear view mirror, the Lions have their eyes set on the top of the NFC North and the conference overall. And with their schedule, they will have an opportunity to make a move in the division and conference standings over the next several weeks.
Because of that, Branch’s suspension could become a blessing in disguise. The defensive back will return Sunday more rested and ready to roll for the second half of the campaign.
“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, via Woodyard. “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.”
The Lions will host the Vikings on November 2. Then, the Lions will have back-to-back road matchups with the two 2024 NFC finalists — the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles.
After a showdown with the New York Giants on November 23, the Lions will end November with a rematch against the Green Bay Packers.
Juwan Johnson’s first words on fumble leave fans in disbelief
Juwan Johnson fumbled a pass from Spencer Rattler that felt like the New Orleans Saints best opportunity for a comeback against the New England Patriots. When asked about the play, the beginning of the tight end's answer may leave Saints fans infuriated.
The first Johnson said when asked how he felt about the fumble was "it is what it is" preceded by a scoff. It appears that part of his answer was largely in reaction to it being called a fumble, however, it can be difficult to get past those being his first words on the matter.
The call was close, and Johnson doesn't agree. More importantly, however, it shouldn't have been close. The Saints simply couldn't afford it. They were down six points, and that play would have put them right at midfield with momentum. When the stakes are that high, we don't want to hear you be nonchalant about if it was a fumble or not.
Juwan Johnson is starting to have a knack for mistakes at the wrong time and his responses continue to leave more to be desired
This isn't the first time Johnson has missed an opportunity to make a splash play. Against the Cardinals, Johnson dropped what could have been a game tying or game winning touchdown, depending on how aggressive the Saints were.
After that game, Johnson appeared nonchalant about the severity of his drop. The main premise of his response was that the team has to move forward. While technically true, no one wants to hear that from the person who just dropped the ball immediately after the game. His criticism of focusing on late game mistakes also came off as a bit of a deflection.
Johnson took a slightly better approach after this mistake. After his initial comment, he later goes on to explain how he plans to bounce back from the fumble. "The one thing I can do go into this week really focusing on holding the ball properly." It's at this point it feels he owns his role in the play.
The Saints had only ran two plays on that drive and both resulted in first downs. New Orleans had just kicked a field goal on the possession before, and it felt like the offense was picking up steam. The fumble took that momentum away.
If there was one piece of advice to give Johnson, it would be to start a little better. Hearing "it is what it is" is the last thing anyone wants to hear from a player after his own mistake. It can actually make it difficult to digest the accountability Johnson took on seconds later. However, the greatest hope is the tight end stops making these critical mistakes, so we stop needing to grade his responses.
