Matt LaFleur shares cloudy update on key Packers defender who left Bengals game with concerning injury
A big part of the Green Bay Packers’ defensive structure is their elite edge rush rotation. Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary are the stars, but fellow former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness has been instrumental for the unit.
On Sunday, during the 27-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Van Ness got a sack on veteran quarterback Joe Flacco late in the game, but immediately got off the field with a foot injury. It’s not clear what the outlook is, but head coach Matt LaFleur shared an update after the matchup.
“I talked to him real quick,” LaFleur explained. “I know he's going to get an MRI [on Monday].”
Positive detail
While the MRI will determine what Van Ness’ injury is and if he will need to miss some time, one detail of LaFleur’s quote is promising.
“I know he's sore in his foot, but I don't believe there was anything broken,” the head coach revealed. “We'll have a better understanding of what's going on [Monday].”
Edge depth
The ability to have three productive edge defenders has been a key for the defense so far. Not only has defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley been able to rotate the three, but in several instances there are package plays for all of Parsons, Gary, and Van Ness to be on the field at the same time. Van Ness, in particular, has the versatility to move inside.
Beyond them, the quality of the pass rushers is not the same. The fourth guy is Kingsley Enagbare, who has generated trade buzz, and fourth-round rookie Barryn Sorrell.
The Packers still have some injured players at the position close to returning. Brenton Cox hurt his groin in Week 1 versus the Detroit Lions and is now eligible to come back from injured reserve — it’s not clear if he’s fully healthy, but he’s already spent four games on IR. Additionally, fifth-round rookie Collin Oliver, an edge and off-ball linebacker hybrid, started the season on the physically unable to perform list due to a hamstring injury and is also eligible to be activated at any point.
Patrick Mahomes Calls Out Brian Branch, Lions After Postgame Brawl
safety Brian Branch got chippy with the Kansas City Chiefs following his team’s 13-point road loss, drawing the ire of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes tried to shake Branch’s hand as the final seconds ran off the clock, a gesture that Branch brushed off. Kansas City wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster called Branch out, at which point Branch struck the wideout in the face and knocked him to the ground.
A large brawl subsequently ensued, which included all three of the aforementioned players and spread to include several dozen more — to one degree or another.
Patrick Mahomes spoke on the fight that occurred at the end of Lions-Chiefs.
(📺 NBC)
Video of the incident circulated widely on social media. And shortly after the scrum subsided, Mahomes spoke about Branch’s actions while still standing on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I mean, we play the game in between the whistles,” Mahomes said. “They can do all the extra-curricular stuff they want to do, but we play the game between the whistles.”
Brian Branch Could Face Fine, Suspension for Actions Against Chiefs on ‘Sunday Night Football’
GettyHead coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions speaks to safety Brian Branch after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL has multiple avenues by which it could penalize Branch for his behavior Sunday night, and none of them are good for the player. And in fact, one might end up hugely detrimental to his team.
The league typically fines players more than $40,000 on a first offense for fighting, while a second offense carries a penalty of more than $80,000, according to NFL.com. The NFL has fined Branch at least 13 times since 2023 for a total amount of approximately $180,000, though it is unclear if any of those fines have come specifically for fighting.
A financial penalty would be the best possible outcome, as there is also precedent for the league to suspend a player for the sort of action Branch took against Smith-Schuster.
Defensive tackle Trysten Hill, then of the Dallas Cowboys, caught a two-game suspension for starting a fight with the Las Vegas Raiders after a Thanksgiving Day game in 2021.
“Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill has been suspended two games without pay by the NFL for his postgame punch in an altercation with Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman John Simpson,” wrote Grant Gordon of NFL Network.
Lions cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold are both out indefinitely with injuries, and Detroit must face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) on next week’s edition of “Monday Night Football.” Playing that game without Branch will mean the Lions are going to be down three of their starters in the secondary from Week 1.
Brian Branch’s Strike Did Damage to JuJu Smith-Schuster’s Face, per Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
GettyKansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
That Smith-Schuster sustained what may be a visible injury certainly isn’t going to help Branch’s case.
Andy Reid says there’s “pretty good damage on JuJu’s nose.”
Here he is walking up the tunnel holding a towel to his face right after the game.
@KCTV5
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said following the game that there was “pretty good damage on JuJu’s nose,” according to Marleah Campbell of KCTV5 in Kansas City.
If that damage is visible to the naked eye, that will only serve to worsen the optics of the situation. That, in turn, might potentially come into play when the NFL decides how to punish Branch for a sprawling and violent fight that “Sunday Night Football” broadcasted nationally.
