Tempers flared following the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Week 6 win over the Detroit Lions — and former Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster found himself in the middle of an all-out brawl, courtesy of a strike from Lions S Brian Branch.
The incident occurred when Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes attempted to high-five Branch, but the Lions defensive back walked right past him. Smith-Schuster didn’t care for the disrespect toward his quarterback and shared a few words with him, leading to Branch delivering a strike to the receiver’s head.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco attempted to separate them, but the two were deadlocked on settling their differences through the physical altercation.
A fight broke out at the end of the Lions-Chiefs game.
The events that led to it:
◽️ Brian Branch refused to shake hands with Patrick Mahomes
◽️ JuJu Smith-Schuster confronted Branch
◽️ Branch slapped Smith-Schuster🎥 @SNFonNBC | H/T @Rate_the_Refspic.twitter.com/Ki4xjhHOMD
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 13, 2025
After the scrum, Branch pointed to an illegal block in the back from Smith-Schuster as a turning point, claiming he could’ve gotten hurt on the play but that the referees missed the call.
Smith-Schuster is no stranger to physicality, as Steelers fans love to remember the devastating hit he laid on Vontaze Burfict in an attempt to get revenge for Antonio Brown.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Ex-Steelers, Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster hit by Brian Branch
