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Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf landed in hot water on Sunday after striking a Lions fan during his team’s win over Detroit. However, it turns out that’s not the first time he’s had an issue with the spectator in question.
It’s hard to envy the NFL players who have to deal with plenty of heckling courtesy of fans who make it a mission to get into their heads. However, that sort of comes with the territory when you’re a professional athlete who is expected to know how to deal with that kind of adversity.
Someone who’s in their seventh season in the league should know how to block things out, but DK Metcalf was unwilling to give a pass to a Lions fan who ended up on the receiving end of a swat the wide receiver delivered during the second quarter of Sunday’s game between Pittsburgh and Detroit.
DK Metcalf appears to have an altercation with a Detroit fan pic.twitter.com/a478Zjg3tR
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 21, 2025
We’ve been treated to a bit of a “He said, he said” situation when it comes to what sparked that exchange, but it appears the spectator has a history with Metcalf that stretches back to his time in Seattle.
DK Metcalf previously had an issue with the Lions fan he went after in the stands
Metcalf spent his first six seasons in the NFL as a member of the Seahawks before he was traded to the Steelers prior to the start of the current campaign, and he had seven receptions for 104 yards when Seattle suffered a 42-29 loss to the Lions in Detroit last season.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Metcalf became acquainted with the fan in question (who identified himself as Ryan Kennedy) during that contest, as he apparently reported him to Seattle’s security team during the meeting at Ford Field last season.
Steelers WR DK Metcalf had a history with the Lions fan he confronted Sunday — Metcalf reported the same fan to Seahawks security last season while playing for Seattle, sources say.
The NFL is reviewing the incident for potential discipline.pic.twitter.com/ZYbAGdOWub
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 22, 2025
It’s unclear what the onus for that decision was, but Pelissero echoed Chad Johnson’s claim that the fan crossed the line while heckling Metcalf, citing a source who said he uttered “something we both know you don’t call a black man” (Kennedy asserted he simply called the wideout by his full “government” name).
The NFL has not revealed if Metcalf will be subjected to any discipline as of this writing, but it’s hard to imagine that he won’t be hit with a fine or suspension after the league wraps up its investigation.