Patrick Mahomes at the line of scrimmage.Patrick Mahomes at the line of scrimmage. (Photo via X)
Patrick Mahomes tried to shake Brian Branch’s hand and quickly got snubbed. Now, we are finding out why.

With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Mahomes kept the ball and ran in for a touchdown. As he crossed the plane, he seemingly took notice of Lions defensive back Brian Branch and began to taunt him. He was not flagged for it.

Many fans and commentators seized on the play quickly, questioning why Mahomes did not face a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Also, they pointed to this moment as a reason why Branch refused to shake his hands just before he would smack JuJu Smith-Schuster and kick off a wild brawl.

A second user also pointed to that play after the game as well, saying, “To the Mahomes was just trying to shake Branch’s hand crowd… go back to the Mahomes TD where he clearly taunts Branch after the play. And of course… no flag.”

Patrick Mahomes Could face a Penalty For What He Did To Brian Branch

Patrick Mahomes talking to reportersPatrick Mahomes (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes could be hit with a significant fine after he seemingly taunted Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch during their Week 6 matchup.

The incident took place late in the second quarter when Mahomes topped off a 55-yard drive with a touchdown.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback ran the final yard to complete the play, and after doing so, he would taunt Branch by pointing towards his direction, dropping the ball, and pretending to wipe his jersey.

Per Newsweek, Mahomes is likely to face a fine from the NFL for that incident, despite not being flagged for it.

The NFL emphasized the need to restrict behavior that qualifies as unsportsmanlike conduct, especially taunting.

As we saw later, Brian Branch kicked off a major brawl after attacking JuJu Smith-Schuster. He claimed after the game that a push in the back prompted his reaction.