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Brooke Pryor
PITTSBURGH — Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has been suspended two games without pay by the NFL “for conduct detrimental to the NFL for initiating a physical confrontation with a fan” during Sunday’s game at Ford Field.
According to the NFL release, Metcalf’s actions violate the league policy that specifies “players may not enter the stands or otherwise confront fans at any time on game day and … if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in any way that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd-control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held accountable.”
Metcalf plans to appeal the suspension, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If the suspension stands, Metcalf will forfeit $555,556 for the two games.
Ryan Kennedy, the Detroit Lions fan involved in the altercation with Metcalf on Sunday, denied he used a racial slur, “misogynistic, or hate-based language during the incident,” according to a statement released by a Michigan law firm Monday.
“These allegations are completely false,” said the statement released by Shawn Head and Sean Murphy of Head Murphy Law Firm.
The statement also said that Kennedy has experienced “harassment, threats and messages advocating violence” since reports began circulating on social media that Kennedy used a racial slur toward Metcalf and called Metcalf’s mother an inflammatory word.
Metcalf, who played for the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Steelers this year, reported Kennedy to Seattle team security in the past, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. The Seahawks played at Detroit in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The CBS broadcast showed Metcalf talking to the fan, who was in a blue wig and hanging over the first-row railing.
“He came over because the fan in the stands was holding a ‘4’ Pittsburgh jersey, he went over, and the fan said something to him,” CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson said on the broadcast. “Obviously, Metcalf did not like what he said, and you saw the swipe there. No Steelers came over to him and mentioned anything.”
In an angle of the incident posted on Instagram, Metcalf walked up to the fan, grabbed him by his shirt collar to pull him closer, then forcefully shoved him back. The fan, who threw his hands up after Metcalf made contact with him, appeared to have a yellow jersey in his hands.
With Metcalf suspended, the Steelers will be without a clear No. 1 receiver against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in their final two regular-season games, and the position group could be even more depleted after Calvin Austin III left the 29-24 victory against the Lions with a hamstring injury.
While running back Kenneth Gainwell leads the Steelers with 62 receptions, Metcalf leads the team with 850 receiving yards on 59 catches. Austin is the next-closest receiver with 28 catches for 317 yards on 48 targets. The Steelers, though, got a late season boost with the addition of wide receiver Adam Thielen, claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings. The team also added Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad earlier this season and promoted him to the active roster prior to the Week 15 win against the Dolphins.
Thielen led Steelers receivers with four catches on four targets for 49 yards against the Lions.
The Steelers also used veteran Scotty Miller once Austin left the game. Miller finished with three catches on three targets for 19 yards, including a pair of third-quarter snags to convert 4th-and-2 and 3rd-and-4.
The Steelers will clinch the AFC North division title if they win one of their final two games.
