Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf will not face charges from an altercation with a fan last December, the Wayne County prosecutors’ office announced Friday. Metcalf shoved a Detroit Lions fan in the stands after an interaction during a win at the Lions’ Ford Field on Dec. 21.
In a statement released Friday, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said that she will not issue charges against Metcalf after “an extensive review of all the relevant evidence.” Per Worthy’s statement, the prosecutors’ office analyzed video footage and conducted interviews with the fan, security, and bystanders to the incident before determining that they would not file charges.
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Worthy outlined the case, saying that the 45-year-old Lions fan left his seat with a Metcalf jersey, planning to ask the wide receiver for his 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,” Worth said. “The fan did not appear to be injured, nor did he seek medical attention at the game.”
The prosecutors’ office coming to this conclusion means that Metcalf will not face any criminal charges for the incident. The fan, later identified as Ryan Kennedy, is also pursuing a civil lawsuit against Metcalf.
Multiple outlets reported that Metcalf and Kennedy had a history, with the receiver once reporting the Kennedy to NFL security in 2024 while Metcalf played for the Seattle Seahawks. Metcalf did not speak on what Kennedy said, though a source told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that the fan called Metcalf “something we both know you don’t call a Black man.”
In a statement, an attorney for Kennedy denied that he had said any “hate-based slur” in his interaction with Metcalf.
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Metcalf, 28, was suspended for two games by the NFL after the incident. The receiver unsuccessfully repealed the punishment, which resulted in him voiding $45 million in guaranteed money over the next two years. (Metcalf can still earn the money through his contract, but it is no longer guaranteed.)
The suspension resulted in Metcalf missing the last two games of the year. Metcalf returned for the postseason after the Steelers clinched the AFC North, but still declined to speak on the incident.
“I can’t say nothing about what happened,” Metcalf said.
Pittsburgh went on to lose to the Houston Texans in the first round.