Brian Department has been suspended by the NFL for one recreation with out pay for his actions following the Lions‘ loss to the Chiefs on Sunday night time. The Lions’ Professional Bowl defensive again initiated a struggle between the 2 groups instantly following the Chiefs’ 30-17 win when he punched Kansas Metropolis wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Department, who will miss the Lions’ upcoming dwelling recreation in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Monday Night time Soccer,” stands to lose $76,624 for one one-game suspension. He’s planning to enchantment stated suspension, in accordance with NFL Media.
Department attributed his actions postgame to constructing frustration with Smith-Schuster throughout Sunday night time’s recreation.
“I did an actual infantile factor,” Department stated. “I am uninterested in folks doing stuff in between performs and refs do not catch it. They be making an attempt to bully me on the market. I should not have did it, it was infantile.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell known as Department’s actions “inexcusable” throughout his postgame press convention. He additionally apologized to Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who stated throughout his postgame presser that Department had some some “fairly good harm” to Smith-Schuster’s nostril with out stepping into specifics.
“You guys noticed it,” Reid stated. “The man got here up and hit JuJu for what regarded like no purpose.”
Lions DB Brian Department expresses regret after struggle with Chiefs WR Juju Smith-Schuster
Brad Crawford
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who tried to shake Department’s hand previous to issues going awry, did not maintain again when requested about what occurred instantly after the sport.
“We play the sport in between the whistles,” Mahomes informed NBC Sports activities. “They will do all the additional curricular stuff in between the whistles. I assumed we performed an amazing recreation at this time. And we’ll preserve this momentum shifting ahead.”
Now in his third season, that is already the 14th time Department has been fined by the NFL and the fourth time he has been fined this season. Department’s earlier fined price him practically $130,000 in wage.
Assuming his suspension holds up, Department won’t be out there for Detroit’s playoff rematch in opposition to the Buccaneers. Department’s absence is an apparent blow for the Lions, who’ve the unenviable process of making an attempt to decelerate Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. The early frontrunner for league MVP has thrown 12 touchdowns and only one interception in Tampa Bay’s first six video games.
