NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday that Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver DK Metcalf will not be charged in connection with an altercation with a Detroit Lions fan at Ford Field in December.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office also denied a request for a warrant.
“On December 21, 2025, during an NFL football game at Ford Field, located in the 2000 block of Brush Street in Detroit, a 45-year-old male Lions fan sat in the bleachers behind the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bench, allegedly raucous player DeKaylin Metcalf, at 8:28 p.m. Metcalf’s jersey for an autograph,” the release said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches before an NFL preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Aug. 16, 2025. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
“As he approached the front railing of the stands, he said something to Mr. Metcalf. As Mr. Metcalf approached the stands, there was a brief interaction in which Mr. Metcalf grabbed his jersey and pushed him back. The fan did not appear to be injured, nor did he seek medical attention at the game.”
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said the fan, Ryan Kennedy, security personnel and bystanders were all interviewed along with video footage from various angles. After an extensive review, it chose not to charge Metcalf.
Kennedy filed a $100 million lawsuit naming Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ford Field, the Lions’ stadium, Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe.
The filing details nine counts, including negligence against Ford Field and multiple defamation claims against Metcalf, Johnson and Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy holds a news conference at the Head Murphy Law office in Farmington Hills, Mich., on Dec. 26, 2025, discussing the fan-involved altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Kennedy’s attorney, Jon Marko, told Pakinomist Digital that the lack of criminal charges against Metcalf is irrelevant to their civil case. He cited prosecutors’ lack of resources for not charging Metcalf.
“The prosecutor’s decision is completely irrelevant to our case, our civil case. You know, prosecutors, especially busy prosecutor’s offices and major metropolitan areas like Detroit, have priorities when they make charging decisions, and they have a very limited amount of resources that they can use, and they use those resources to go after the most serious cases, like the most serious felonies, and I mean clearly, in this homicide case. The video shows what I believe is an assault and a battery, and any reasonable person looking at it, I think, would see the same thing,” Marko told Pakinomist Digital.
“This was out in the open. There were numerous witnesses and it was on video, but I think the very expense and resources needed to prosecute this misdemeanor assault and battery is most likely what led the prosecution to decide not to charge, not the idea that the crime wasn’t committed, wasn’t committed. So it’s an indictment for us, whether we’re still relevant or not. Seeking full justice for the assault and battery through our civil case.”
Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster, the attorney for Metcalf, welcomed the decision to drop the charges.
FOLTER DECLINES ANTHONY RICHARDSON’S FIFTH-YEAR OPTION, SETTING FORMER NO. 4 TOTAL COLLECTION FOR FREE AGENCY
DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs during a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 21, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
“The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has declined to file charges against DeKaylin Metcalf in connection with the incident involving Ryan Kennedy on December 21, 2025. We applaud the decision and are grateful for the hard work and thorough investigation that led to this just outcome.
“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-driven behavior has no place anywhere, and especially not in professional sports.”
Metcalf was suspended two games by the NFL for the incident.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy sits with attorneys Sean Murphy and Shawn Head at the Head Murphy Law office in Farmington Hills, Mich., on Dec. 26, 2025, discussing the fan-involved altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Metcalf was shown by the CBS broadcast grabbing a fan by the shirt and swinging at him. NFL Network reported that the fan made derogatory comments about the 28-year-old. Kennedy later denied the claim.
Kennedy told the Detroit Free Press that he cursed Metcalf by calling him by his full name.
Pakinomist Digital reached out to Metcalf’s agent for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
