Brian Branch Fined Fifth Time During 2024 Season

Brian Branch fined again against Houston Texans.

Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods (2) runs with the ball as Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) defends / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch has been fined again by the National Football League.

Against the Houston Texans, Detroit's talented safety was docked $10,128 for a hip-drop tackle against wideout Robert Woods.

It marked the fifth occasion the former second-round pick was fined by the league.

Against the Cardinals, Branch was docked $10,128 for fighting and another $10,128 for impermissible use of his helmet.

Against the Packers, the second-year defensive back was again fined twice. He faced a pair of $10,128 fines for an obscene gesture and for a hit to a defenseless receiver.

In total, Branch has received fines totalling $50,640 this season.

Prior to the start of the 2024 season, NFL clubs voted unanimously to ban the hip-drop tackle from the game.

According to the league's operations site, "A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle. The NFL analyzed more than 20,000 tackles over the past two seasons and determined that this specific technique causes lower extremity injuries at a rate 20 times higher than other tackles, resulting in an unacceptable risk to player health and safety."

Lions Elevate TE James Mitchell, Sign LB to Active Roster From Practice Squad

#Lions S Brian Branch was fined $10,128 for this hip-drop tackle on Robert Woods pic.twitter.com/CRo2QRkZ1a

— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) November 16, 2024

Branch indicated he lost his cool when he was ejected against the Packers and that he would modify his behavior moving forward.

"That was just the heat of the moment for me," the 23-year-old told reporters. "And I apologize to everyone who seen that and that won't happen again."