Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf will not be available for his team’s last two games of the regular season after his suspension for throwing a punch at a Detroit Lions fan was upheld by the NFL.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Metcalf, 28, was handed the two game suspension following the altercation with the fan, identified as Ryan Kennedy, at the Ford Field on Sunday.
Besides losing $555,556 in salary, Metcalf’s $45 million in guarantees have also been voided, ESPN reported. The league explained that Metcalf was suspended for “conduct detrimental to the NFL for initiating a physical confrontation with a fan.”
The NFL also stated that the 28-year-old’s actions went against a league policy which stipulates 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.”
Touching on the incident on Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin disclosed that though he and Metcalf had discussed what happened, he wanted to know the outcome of the NFL star’s appeal before sharing his view.
“He did explain to me why he did what he did. And I certainly don’t condone the behavior, but I support DK,” Tomlin said. “And I really don’t have a lot to add other than what I just told you.”
Tomlin also stated that Metcalf’s attitude and daily work rate made it “easy to support” him, though he did not support his actions.
“He’s been great,” said Tomlin. “He cares. He works hard. He’s a heck of a guy. He’s a good teammate, and that’s why he’s easy to support.”
Tomlin additionally stated that he has put in effort to enable players to be ready to handle fans who use “volatile rhetoric.”
“I just think volatile rhetoric is a component of our business today, unfortunately,” he added, per ESPN. “It just is. But not only our business, college, youth sport parents. I think it’s just a component of sport that’s developed, and developed in a big way in recent years, and it’s unfortunate.”
In the aftermath of the altercation, a Michigan law firm stated that Kennedy never used any racial slur, “misogynistic, or hate-based language during the incident.”
“These allegations are completely false,” Shawn Head and Sean Murphy of Head Murphy Law Firm said in the statement.
The statement said that Kennedy had been subjected to “harassment, threats and messages advocating violence” after social media reports claimed that he hurled a racial slur at Metcalf and also used an inflammatory word against the NFL star’s mother.
It appears Sunday’s incident wasn’t the first time Metcalf and Kennedy had been involved in a tense encounter, as a source told ESPN‘s Brady Henderson that the NFL star had previously reported the Lions fan to the Seattle Seahawks’ team security. Metcalf was playing for the Seahawks at the time.
Following the altercation, Kennedy told the Detroit Free Press that he was “a little shocked. Like everyone’s talking to me. I’m a little rattled, but I just want the Lions to win, baby.”
“My words don’t matter because it was on camera,” Kennedy added. He was also asked what his name was, but he initially did not disclose it. “My name is ‘Biggest Detroit Lions Fan Ever that got attacked by DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf,’” he said.
Kennedy later disclosed his name after after he was asked again. “What, my full name isn’t is DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf,” Kennedy said. “He doesn’t like his government name. I called him that and then he grabbed me and ripped my shirt. I’m a little shocked. Like everyone’s talking to me. I’m a little rattled, but I just want the Lions to win, baby.”
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions on Tuesday announced that Kennedy will not be punished for actions.