Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf will not face criminal charges related to his mid-game altercation with a Detroit Lions fan at Ford Field in December.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office, which handles Detroit-related criminal cases, said in a statement Friday that it is declining a request for an arrest warrant after an “extensive review.” It noted that investigators interviewed everyone involved, including Ford Field security personnel and other fans who witnessed the confrontation.
Video of the incident showed Metcalf snatching Lions fan Ryan Kennedy by his jersey while Kennedy was in the stands. Metcalf said at the time that Kennedy shouted something at him, but did not say what. Worthy’s office confirmed Metcalf’s account, describing Kennedy’s behavior as “heckling.”
“As Mr. Metcalf approached the stands, there was a brief interaction where Mr. Metcalf grabbed his shirt and pushed him back,” the statement said. “The fan did not appear to be injured, nor did he seek medical attention at the game.”
While no criminal charges will be filed, Metcalf still faces a $100 million civil lawsuit filed by Kennedy.
“We applaud the decision (of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office) and are thankful for the hard work and thorough investigation that led to this just result,” Metcalf’s attorney, Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster, said in a statement released to The Athletic.
“We are confident that justice will also prevail in the civil claim involving Mr. Kennedy. As Mr. Metcalf’s counterclaim in the civil case makes clear, Mr. Kennedy’s hate-fueled conduct has no place anywhere, and especially not in professional sports.”
The NFL suspended Metcalf for two games without pay following the incident, and the league later denied the receiver’s appeal of the punishment.
Metcalf’s actions violated NFL rules specifying that “players may not enter the stands or otherwise confront fans at any time on game day and … if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in any way that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd-control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held accountable.”
In his lawsuit, Kennedy said the Pittsburgh star became angry after he shouted Metcalf’s legal name, DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf, at him. Though Metcalf has said he prefers to go by DeKaylin, he uses the nickname DK in most public contexts.
“I called him (Dekaylin), and then he grabbed me and ripped my shirt,” Kennedy told the “Detroit Free Press.” “I’m a little shocked.”
Kennedy’s lawsuit said he suffered continued physical harm from the altercation, as well as “reputational damage and economic harm” after being falsely accused of calling Metcalf a racial slur during the incident.
The allegation that Kennedy used a slur gained traction after Steelers linebacker James Harrison and former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson discussed the situation on their respective podcasts.
“I talked to DK personally, and DK said that (Kennedy) actually called his mom a (c-word). And as he asked him what he was saying, he then called him a (n-word),” Harrison said at the time.
Johnson repeated both parts of that account, implying he also spoke to Metcalf directly.
“Based on what I was told, from a reliable source, who wears number four, that’s what it was — (Kennedy) called (Metcalf) the n-word,” Johnson said, according to the lawsuit.
Alongside Metcalf, Kennedy’s suit names Shannon Sharpe’s media company, Shay Shay Media, and All Time Sports, which distributes Johnson’s show with the Hall of Fame tight end. Ford Field is also named for allegedly failing to “monitor, supervise, and/or protect” Kennedy during the incident at the game.
Attorney John Marko, who is representing Kennedy, said in a statement after filing the lawsuit that his client is seeking damages, “as well as court-ordered public retractions from all defendants to clear his name. Mr. Kennedy maintains that he never used any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever.”
There is a status conference on May 5 for the lawsuit.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported shortly after the altercation that Metcalf had previous run-ins with Kennedy and complained about his behavior to Seattle Seahawks security during the 2024-25 season. A spokesperson for the Seahawks, who Metcalf played for at the time, confirmed to The Athletic that Metcalf reported a fan to security during a game in Detroit that year, but could not confirm it was Kennedy.
The Athletic reached out to Marko for comment, but did not receive a response. This story will be updated if that changes.