The NFL posted and deleted a weird video laying into Brian Branch

It was, to put it bluntly, a very weird video.

Certainly strange timing for the very league who just suspended a given player to post a clip ripping that very player into shreds. And while Branch was definitely in the wrong for attacking Smith-Schuster, he’s already been punished and owned up to what he did. There’s no point in piling on by making stuff like this and attacking the way he played on the field. 

The video attracted backlash across social media, with Lions defensive tackle D.J. Reader calling it out on Twitter.

After the barrage of negative comments, the NFL deleted the post. But the internet is forever as they say.

Maybe it wasn’t the wisest move for the NFL to post a video painting a Chiefs opponent in a negative light, especially after a game in which Kansas City was called for zero penalties which has sparked debate about whether or not the Chiefs are officiated fairly compared to other teams.

READ MORE: ESPN proposes an aggressive trade deadline plan for Lions that would reshape NFL

And Chiefs stuff aside, it’s just a weird thing to do after Branch has already been held accountable by the league for his actions. That’s not to say everyone has to just forget about it now, but maybe don’t make a whole video narrating all the bad things that happened to this player when you yourself just suspended him for a game. 

NFL Films is one of the best in the business. They're better than this.

The league realized all of that and took the post down, but there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle when it comes to 2025. Hopefully this whole thing has been a learning experience for Branch, one of the most talented players in the NFL. 

And for Lions fans, hopefully the NFL’s additional dig at his on-field performance and postgame comments serves as a bit of motivation when he returns after Detroit’s bye.