Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton during Sunday’s 24-14 victory. As he left the field, he criticized Packers fans at Lambeau Field, earning him a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

On Wednesday he apologized for those actions:

Branch’s ejection was controversial, to the point that Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady, who is not allowed to publicly criticize game officials given his minority ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders,speak against the decision.

“I don’t like that call at all,” he said during the broadcast. “I mean, obviously that’s a penalty. But, to me, that has to be a serious intention in a game like this.”

The NFL said Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk would not fine Brady for those comments.

“The concern would be if Tom was overtly critical of the officiating or questioned the integrity of a referee or the team. That did not happen in this case.”

After the game, NFL senior vice president of officiating Perry Fewell told reporters that the decision to eject Branch did not occur automatically on the field, but occurred in conjunction with the replay center’s review of the hit.

“We reviewed all angles and clearly felt he had time and space to make a different decision, as the act was a flagrant foul,” he said. “And he clearly had the opportunity to avoid the head and neck area.”

Lions head coach Dan Campbell added that the officials on the field only told him that the decision to eject Branch “came from New York.”

Melton said he did not believe Branch intentionally targeted him in the helmet area.

“I was playing ball,” he told reporters. “I’m fine, so it is what it is. He was playing ball and he hit me when I was in the air. So it is what it is.”

Fewell also noticed After the game, Branch could face further discipline from the NFL’s compliance department for his middle finger gesture toward Packers fans.