The latest news surrounding Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy does not bode well for his potential legal case against DK Metcalf. He did in fact have a history with the NFL wide receiver, who was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the offseason.
An investigation by the security team at Ford Field found him guilty of using derogatory language toward the same player last season.
It is currently unclear as to exactly what went down in the Motor City last weekend but this new report from NFL insider Jay Glazer seems to corroborate Metcalf’s claims of verbal abuse. The superstar pass-catcher will still be suspended for each of his next two games.
DK Metcalf punched a Detroit Lions fan.
The Steelers defeated the Lions in Detroit last weekend. Although it was a massive win for Pittsburgh, the victory was overshadowed by DK Metcalf. He walked over to a fan in the crowd and threw a punch.
Ryan Kennedy, the fan, claims Metcalf freaked out over a harmless comment. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound wide receiver says the fan hurled multiple slurs at him. We do not yet know exactly what happened but the truth likely falls somewhere in the middle. There are always three sides to every story.
Metcalf received a two-game suspension from the NFL that could cost him $40 million in guaranteed money. (UPDATE: the Steelers will not void any money) He will serve the suspension this week and next.
Meanwhile, Kennedy is threatening legal action against the pass-catcher. The Detroit Lions fan held a bizarre press conference at a folding table earlier this week (while wearing a backwards hat) and asked Metcalf to retract the accusations of racism. At no point in his life has he ever said a racial slur, he said.
It was a vehement denial of wrongdoing even though these two men have a history that dates back to 2024. A video from last weekend also shows Kennedy boast that he accomplished “his goal” after he got punched by Metcalf.
Ryan Kennedy was found guilty of unruly behavior last season.
The beef between Kennedy and the current Steelers wide receiver stems from a heated altercation in 2024. Metcalf was on the Seattle Seahawks at the time.
According to Jay Glazer, Metcalf filed a complaint against the fan while in Detroit last year and asked that he be removed from the stadium. The Lions’ security team investigated the situation during the game.
They spoke to other fans around Kennedy, who corroborated that he “was being out of line” and “had indeed said these derogatory statements.” They even asked the security team to remove Kennedy.
We check in with @JayGlazer on DK Metcalf filing a complaint last year against the same Lions fan that he had an altercation with.
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 28, 2025
Also, Matt Ryan is in talks to rejoin the Falcons in a high-profile front office position. pic.twitter.com/4IuUGqqhsz
Metcalf clearly took issue whatever Kennedy said last weekend, whether derogatory or not. His frustrations stem from a repeated history of poor behavior. This latest report from Glazer seems to vindicate the wide receiver. He should not have punched a fan but it sounds like there is more to it.