Brian Branch isn't extended one by NFL, will serve one-game suspension in Week 7

Well, it was worth a shot.

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch, who finished out the teams' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a punch heard around the league landed on JuJu Smith-Schuster, will have to serve a one-game suspension against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7.

Branch had appealed the decision, hoping to have it postponed long enough that he could suit up for the big Monday Night Football game against Tampa Bay. Instead, he'll be back on the active roster the day after. This is a huge blow to the Lions' already decimated secondary, which is why the team had to immediately make a roster move to cover their bases at safety.

Branch set to serve one-game suspension for MNF against Buccaneers

Branch, who punched Smith-Schuster after he says he was taunted by the Chiefs wide receiver the entire game, told reporters after the scuffle that he shouldn't have done it, adding it was childish. Head coach Dan Campbell echoed those sentiments on Sunday night, saying that it wasn't Lions football.

But, he was sure to defend his player by telling 97.1 FM that Branch is not a "thug" or a bad person, just someone who made a bad business decision in the heat of the moment. That's what you want from your coach.

READ MORE: Lions' flagship station co-hosts add appropriate layers to Brian Branch situation

The Lions, as a subsequent move part of Branch's official suspension, signed a player from the Chiefs' practice squad to their active roster: safety Jammie Robinson.

Robinson, a 2023 fifth round pick, was given a one year deal by the Lions after the news of Branch's suspension was broken by ESPN's Adam Schefter. He last suited up for the Carolina Panthers back in 2023 and 2024, playing in 21 total games for them. He finished up his time there with 20 total tackles but no takeaways.

Detroit is completely depleted on defense right now, which does not bode amazingly for their chances against Baker Mayfield. The Tampa Bay signal caller is on an MVP trajectory right now, and it's hard to imagine he's going to let up even if his wide receiving corp is a bit banged up for Week 7. Mike Evans looms as a possibility to return in this one, which should scare the Lions' defense.