Phxt In Sports as in Life: Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right — But Respect Can Calm What Ego Escalates
Tensions Boil Over: Branch–Mahomes Clash Sparks Fierce Debate Across the NFL
The NFL world is buzzing after a heated post-game moment between Lions safety Brian Branch and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — and one viral tweet might have summed it up best.
Sports analyst Dontay Atkinson (@DonAtkinsonNFL) took to X (formerly Twitter) to call for perspective. He didn’t excuse Branch for throwing a punch — but he wasn’t letting Mahomes off the hook, either.
“I’m not applauding Branch for punching Schuster; he shouldn’t have done it,” Atkinson wrote. “But let’s back up a bit. Mahomes was taunting Branch during the game — uncalled by the refs, of course. No wonder Branch wasn’t interested in shaking his hand. Schuster pushed it and got slapped for it.”
Then came Atkinson’s blunt takeaway:
“1. Don’t punch a guy.
2. Don’t be an obnoxious little sh*t and expect the dude you disrespected to be cool about it.”
The post blew up instantly, echoing frustration from fans who say Mahomes gets away with behavior others can’t. Some agreed Branch lost control, but others argued the provocation started long before the punch.
Still, critics insist Branch crossed a line — professionalism means keeping your cool, no matter what.
One thing’s clear: the debate goes deeper than one scuffle. It’s about respect, accountability, and the double standards that still shape the NFL’s biggest stars.
As Atkinson put it, “The number of people willing to cape for Patrick is staggering.”
