Lions’ Brian Branch Apologizes for Emotional Response Following Ejection Against Packers

It wasn’t Brian Branch’s finest moment, and he humbly owned up to it on Wednesday.

We all have times we wish we could take back, but most people don’t experience those moments in a very public setting. For Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch, his moment came last Sunday when he was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton—a moment he’s not proud of.

As he left the field at Lambeau following his ejection, Branch flashed a well-captured double-middle finger at the crowd. He wasn’t further penalized for that, and the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty he received seemed to be tied to something he reportedly said to officials after the ejection decision came from the league office in New York.

After Wednesday’s walkthrough practice, Branch addressed the incident, standing at his locker and taking responsibility for his actions.

Brian Branch takes responsibility for his actions against the Packers

“That’s not the image I want to portray or how I want people to see me,” Branch said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “It was a heat-of-the-moment thing, and I apologize to everyone who saw that. It won’t happen again.”

On Tuesday morning during an interview with 97.1 The Ticket, head coach Dan Campbell said he’d already spoken to Branch about the incident.

“That’s what we talked about,” Campbell said. “‘You can’t give them the 15 yards after that.’”

Regarding the helmet-to-helmet hit, the fourth of his career, Branch agreed with the call and acknowledged his coaches’ advice about adjusting his target area on similar plays moving forward.

“I definitely agree with the call. My target was clearly too high, but I wasn’t aiming for the head,” Branch said. “Going forward, I have to aim lower.”

While Campbell, the coaching staff, and at least one teammate don’t want Branch to lose his aggressive play style, they see the entire incident as a learning experience for the second-year player. To his credit, Branch didn’t shy away from talking about it. When fines for Week 9 are issued on Saturday, he’ll face a significant financial reminder of that lesson.