Lions, Chiefs players brawl after hard-fought game

A hard-fought win by the Kansas City Chiefs over the Detroit Lions took a wild turn once the final whistle blew on Sunday night as a brawl broke out among players.

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes was going up to Lions defensive back Brian Branch for a postgame handshake. Branch snubbed Mahomes’ sportsmanship and it appeared wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took exception to that.

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Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch ,top right, fights with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) as Chiefs’ James Winchester, left, watches following an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) tries to break up a fight between teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster and Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch following an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Smith-Schuster and Branch exchanged words before the defensive back shoved the wide receiver in the helmet. Smith-Schuster went down on one knee and running back Isiah Pacheco was trying to hold the Lions player back. Smith-Schuster came back at Branch, trying to take him down. 

Despite being held back by Pacheco, Branch still managed to rip Smith-Schuster’s helmet off. Players from both teams got into the mix trying to pull the two counterparts off each other. Another punch was thrown as the skirmish ended.

CHIEFS BOUNCE BACK WITH DOMINANT HOME VICTORY OVER LIONS AS PATRICK MAHOMES CONTRIBUTES 4 TOUCHDOWNS

Once the brouhaha subsided, the players said their final farewell to each other and headed back into the locker room.

The NFL is likely to dole out some punishment over the fracas.

Kansas City won the game, 30-17, bouncing back from a tough loss on Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs are now 3-3.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff walks off the field following an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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The Lions’ streak of scoring at least 30 points ended at four consecutive games. The Lions fell to 4-2.

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