New video proves Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes didn’t taunt Lions’ Brian Branch
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- New video from Fox 4 shows Mahomes’ end zone actions contradicted taunt claims.
- Angle clarifies Mahomes spun ball away and pointed at Detroit, not at Brian Branch.
- Officials reviewed actions; noncall stands and jersey wipe celebrations are legal.
A case was made in Michigan this week that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 1-yard touchdown run before halftime Sunday should have been overturned.
Instead, Mahomes and the Chiefs should have been penalized a whopping 60 yards.
A sports-talk radio host believes Mahomes taunted Lions defensive back Brian Branch four separate times after crossing into the end zone. You might remember Branch because he ignited a postgame brawl by taking a swing at Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Here is Mahomes’ touchdown run and the alleged transgressions, which Lions fans have widely shared on social media since the Chiefs’ 30-17 win last weekend.
That’s pretty serious stuff, right? If the officials had thrown those four flags, the Chiefs would have faced a first-and-goal from their own 39-yard line.
Rob Collins, the Fox 4 sports director, shared a video Thursday with a new angle of Mahomes’ touchdown run, and it refutes all four points that were being made by Lions fans.
It turns out Mahomes spun the ball away from Branch, not at him. Branch and other Lions were saying the penalty flag was on the Chiefs. Mahomes pointed to show it was on Detroit, not to taunt Branch.
And, as any Chiefs fan knows, Mahomes wipes his jersey following every rushing touchdown and also does the flex move. That’s his TD celebration, which is allowed in the NFL.
Here is the video with the new angle from Collins that exonerates Mahomes.
Looks like the game officials got it right by not throwing a flag, let alone four.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 9:35 AM.
