NFL: Chiefs vs. Lions ends with a brawl between players; see images

The Kansas City Chiefs' 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions this Sunday ended with scenes of confusion, brawling, and widespread fighting among players at Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri. After the National Football League (NFL) matchup, safety Brian Branch had a disagreement with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, which sparked a conflict between the two teams' rosters on the field.

As the players shook hands, Branch ignored Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Shortly afterward, Smith-Schuster celebrated in the Lions' safety 's direction. Visibly upset, the player threw a punch at the wide receiver , sparking the melee.

Mahomes tries to dap up Brian Branch.

Branch ignores him JuJu steps in and gets SMACKED #Chiefs #Lions #Mahomes #JuJu #BrianBranch #NFL #Football #SportsTwitter #NFLDrama #ViralClip pic.twitter.com/9AINHPLS8s

— Aggregate Sports (@AggregateSports) October 13, 2025

The two men fell to the ground and had to be restrained by other members of the teams—coaching staff and players. Neither player was injured as a result of the altercation, but the NFL is reviewing the incident and may impose suspensions on the players.

Players and coaching staff commented on the incident after the game. Branch stated that he was provoked by Chiefs players during the game. "It was childish, but I'm tired of people doing things during the game and the referees not noticing," the safety said.

He also claimed he was illegally blocked behind the wide receiver's back late in the game, which was not noticed by the officials on the field. "I could have gotten hurt on the play. Still, I shouldn't have acted like that." Smith-Schuster defended himself, arguing that he was "just doing his job."

"He (Branch) is a great player and is very important to their team. After the game, I expected to shake his hand and say 'good game.' But he punched me," said the Chiefs player. Mahomes, who was also involved in the controversy, limited himself to saying that the Chiefs play "between the whistles" of the referees, without caring about the provocations that occur between plays.

Lions coach Dan Campbell was even harsher in his criticism of his player at the postgame press conference. "I love Brian Branch, but what he did is unforgivable and will not be tolerated here. That's not how we operate. That's not who we are. I apologize to Coach (Andy) Reid, the Chiefs, and Smith-Schuster. This isn't right. That's not how we operate here. And it won't stand. He knows it, the team knows it."

This isn't the first time Branch has been embroiled in controversy. Last month, in a match against the Green Bay Packers, he was fined $23,000 (R$126,000 at the current exchange rate) for unsportsmanlike conduct. A suspension is possible for Sunday's incident.

With the victory, the Chiefs move to 3-3 in the American Football Conference (AFC) West Division and return to contention for a postseason berth. This Sunday, they face the Las Vegas Raiders, again at Arrowhead Stadium, at 2 p.m. (Brasília time). The Lions, who are on a four-game winning streak, return to action on Monday at 8 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home.