The NFL suspended Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for one game after he punched Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to spark a brawl at the end of the Chiefs vs. Lions ‘Sunday Night Football’ game in Week 6.
Branch’s postgame punch was met by condemnation from Detroit’s coach Dan Campbell, but not everyone around the league felt the same way.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin came out in defense of Branch in an appearance on Jeff Teague’s Club 520 Podcast. The 29-year-old did not mince words when discussing his opinion of Smith-Schuster.
‘JuJu needed his a– whooped,’ Franklin said. ‘Let’s just go there.’
Why does Franklin feel that way?
‘He’s an a–hole, bro,’ Franklin said, before further explaining his disdain for Smith-Schuster stemmed from how the 28-year-old wide-out plays the game.
‘This is my thing,’ Franklin explained of his own playing style. ‘I’m gonna talk greasy to you. We gonna go right up. And when we get that one-on-one, I ain’t gonna duck the smoke. So if I win or lose, it is what it is.
‘He the type that’s gonna do all the little weird, sneaky stuff, push you behind the back, go run to the ref … then try to be cool with you after.’
Will this exchange spark a rivalry between Franklin and Smith-Schuster? NFL fans won’t have to wait long to find out. The Chiefs are set to host the Colts in Week 12, for what is potentially shaping up to be a pivotal game in the AFC playoff race.