Earlier in the 2025 NFL season, there was a highly-publicized incident at Ford Field during a game between the host Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers involving Steelers wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and a fan named Ryan Kennedy.
Video showed Metcalf walking over to Kennedy and grabbed his shirt before shoving him away; Kennedy was later accused of having hurled racial epithets at Metcalf, which he emphatically denied.
And now, Metcalf has learned his fate from the NFL.
D.K. Metcalf Will Not Face Charges After His Incident With A Detroit Lions Fan At Ford Field
According to Detroit Free Press staff writer Niraj Warikoo, Metcalf will not be facing legal charges as announced by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office.
Warikoo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter:
“No charges will be filed against Steelers player DeKaylin Metcalf for incident with a Lions fan at game in Detroit in December, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office announced today. “The fan did not appear to be injured, nor did he seek medical attention at the game,” the prosecutor’s office said.”
The statement, via the Free Press, continued:
“At approximately 5:30 p.m., it is alleged that [Kennedy] left his seat holding a Metcalf jersey to get an autograph. As he approached the front railing of the stands, he said something to Mr. Metcalf. As Mr. Metcalf approached the stands, there was a brief interaction where Mr. Metcalf grabbed his shirt and pushed him back,” the statement also said.
“After an extensive review of all the relevant evidence, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has determined that charges will not issue in this case.”
At the time, the incident resulted in Metcalf’s suspension by the NFL for two games. Meanwhile, Kennedy later filed a lawsuit seeking damages from Metcalf along with Ford Field. Additionally, included in the lawsuit were former NFL players Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe.
Kennedy Filed A Lawsuit And Said He Was Being Threatened
Earlier in the year, Kennedy held a press conference in which he disclosed that he was receiving threats as part of the fallout from the incident with Metcalf while reiterating that he didn’t use any kind of racial or misogynistic slurs.
“I respect the NFL, it’s players and fans of all races and cultures and I would never use or publicly shout racial slurs or threatening language,” he said. “It is simply not who I am. What’s been said about me on national and international media is not truly and deeply hurtful, being called a racist for something I did not say has caused serious damage to my family business, reputation and it has put my personal safety at risk.”
“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit alleges. “Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word’; did not call Defendant Metcalf mother a ‘c—‘; and did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever. . . . Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”
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