The NFL has once again disciplined Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch, fining him $11,598 for a low block he committed during Detroit’s 38-30 Week 3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The penalty, enforced in the fourth quarter at the 13:26 mark, carried an accompanying 15-yard infraction on the field.
This latest fine is Branch’s third of the season and the 13th of his three-year career, continuing a pattern that has drawn significant attention. Since entering the league, Branch has incurred 12 previous fines totaling $118,391, the highest figure for any Lions player over that span. In 2024 alone, he was docked $10,128 on seven occasions, adding up to $70,896, and was the most-fined player in the NFL that season.
The NFL uses a collectively bargained schedule of fines to determine amounts, with mitigating or aggravating circumstances influencing the totals. Branch’s latest penalty fell under unnecessary roughness. While some observers viewed the low block as questionable, including ESPN Football Rules Analyst Russell Yurk, who argued on-air that Branch appeared to trip rather than attempt an illegal block, the league nevertheless upheld the discipline.
Branch’s 2025 campaign began with two fines in Week 1, both at $11,593 each, for unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness during Detroit’s 27-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The infractions occurred on the same play, when Branch grabbed Packers tight end Tucker Kraft’s helmet and threw it.
Notably, the league only fined Branch among Lions players in Week 3. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who scored an 18-yard touchdown against the Ravens, avoided financial punishment despite live broadcast microphones picking up his expletive-laden celebration. The two-time First Team All-Pro later apologized for the incident during an ESPN interview with Scott Van Pelt.
St. Brown has been a primary contributor to Detroit’s offense. Against Baltimore, he caught seven passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, including a game-turning fourth-down reception in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win. Across three games, he has totaled 20 receptions for 237 yards and four touchdowns, while beginning the first season of his four-year, $120 million contract signed in April 2024.
The Lions' victory over the Ravens was significant, as it was their first win over Baltimore since October 9, 2005, and their first-ever road victory against the franchise. The result improved Detroit to 1-2 on the season heading into Week 4.
Ford Field will become a crucible Sunday at 1 p.m., where the Lions will look to harness their momentum juggernaut against the Cleveland Browns.
