The Detroit Lions lost late to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 on a controversial offensive pass interference call that may end up costing Detroit the playoffs, but the biggest loser of the day may still end up being wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Metcalf threw a punch at a Lions fan in the stands on Sunday, December 21. And while he finished the contest, the NFL brought down a two-game suspension on Metcalf via an announcement on Monday.
Those two absences will cost Metcalf approximately $555,555 in game checks. However, the longterm financial implications are exponentially worse.
“DK Metcalf’s suspension for an altercation with a Lions fan could jeopardize $45M in future guaranteed money, Dan Graziano [of ESPN] confirmed,” per the ESPN NFL Instagram account on Tuesday. “[Metcalf’s] four-year, $132 million contract from March notes that if he ‘fails … to practice or play with the Club for any reason,’ which includes ‘Player’s suspension by the NFL or Club for Conduct Detrimental,’ his guarantees ‘will be NULL AND VOID.’”
DK Metcalf, Lions Fan Tell Different Stories About Events Leading Up to Sideline Altercation
GettyPittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf.
The Lions fan in question, a man by the name of Ryan Kennedy, claims that Metcalf got angry when he called the wideout by his full “government name.”
Metcalf, however, told a different side of the story that includes a detailed past between himself and Kennedy stretching back to Metcalf’s days with the Seattle Seahawks. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network offered some reporting on the situation Monday.
“A source close to Metcalf says the fan, who identified himself to the @freep as Ryan Kennedy, called Metcalf’s mom a derogatory word and called Metcalf ‘something we both know you don’t call a black man,’” Pelissero wrote on X. “The fan claims Metcalf was upset about being called his full legal name.”
Kennedy’s attorney issued a statement asserting that Metcalf’s account of events is untrue.
“Ryan Kennedy categorically denies using the ‘N-word,’ the ‘C-word,’ or any racial, misogynistic, or hate-based slur during the incident that occurred on December 21, 2025, at Ford Field during the Pittsburgh Steelers-Detroit Lions game,” Kennedy’s attorney said, per a report from Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
DK Metcalf Could Likely Appeal if Lions Decide to Void Guaranteed Money on Contract
GettyWide receiver DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
How much the conversational details preceding the altercation will matter to the Steelers front office remains unclear.
Pittsburgh presumably is not required by the league to void any of Metcalf’s guaranteed money, though his suspension apparently allows the franchise to do so.
If Metcalf plays out his contract with the Steelers through the 2029 campaign, he will get all $132 million for which he signed anyway.
However, voiding the guaranteed portion of the deal would give Pittsburgh more options and operating room to cut ties with Metcalf at a significantly lower cost in the coming years should his play and/or behavior become problematic enough that the team no longer deems him worth that money.
Should the Steelers pursue a voiding of Metcalf’s guarantees, he likely reserves the right to appeal that decision through the NFL Players Association via the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Metcalf turned 28 years old on December 14. He is a two-time Pro Bowler (2020, 2023) and one-time second-team All-Pro (2020) across his seven-year NFL career.
Metcalf has tallied 59 catches for 850 receiving yards and six TDs over 15 games this season. All told, he has compiled 497 receptions for 7,174 yards and 54 scores during his career.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post DK Metcalf’s Scuffle With Lions Fan Could Cost Him $45 Million: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.