The initial fine stems from the fact that he was ejected following a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bo Melton, as the crown of his helmet went directly into the facemask of Melton. According to the NFL, Branch was slapped with $10,128 for unnecessary roughness, which they labeled as a hit on a defenseless player.

Branch received a fine for both acts. The fines matched. It was $10,128 for the illegal hit, and another $10,128 for the double-barreled gesture. It’s odd that a safety rule would trigger the same fine as a rule against the making of certain gestures.

After getting ejected from the Lions' Week 9 win in Green Bay, Detroit safety Brian Branch was expected to earn a fine from the NFL. The league delivered in its weekly doling out of disciplinary actions,