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Ryan Kennedy, a Michigan resident and self-described Detroit Lions fan, is taking legal action after a December altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf at Ford Field.
Kennedy and his legal team held a press conference in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on December 26. On Tuesday, attorneys representing Kennedy announced that a lawsuit had been filed in Wayne County Court. The lawsuit seeks $100 million in damages stemming from the Dec. 21 incident and names DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ford Field, the Lions’ longtime home stadium.
Former NFL player Chad Johnson, Ford Field management and several media platforms were also named in the lawsuit, claiming they played a role in making “defamatory and life-altering statements” against Kennedy in the aftermath of the incident.
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Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, center, sits next to attorney Sean Murphy, left, and attorney Shawn Head, right, while discussing the fan-involved altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf at the Head Murphy Law Office in Farmington Hills, Michigan on December 26, 2025. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The filing outlines nine counts, including negligence against Ford Field and multiple defamation claims against Metcalf, Johnson and former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media.
During the first half of the Lions-Steelers game on Dec. 21, Metcalf appeared to make a pass at Kennedy, who was sitting in the Ford Field bleachers. The NFL later disciplined Metcalf with a two-game suspension to end the regular season.
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In an episode of Shay Shay Media’s “Nightcap” podcast released the day after the incident, co-host Chad Johnson said Metcalf told him Kennedy directed a racial slur at the Steelers receiver and used a derogatory term toward Metcalf’s mother.
Kennedy denied using any slurs at a press conference in December, a claim that was repeated in the lawsuit.
A general aerial view of Ford Field on December 7, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit states. “Prosecutor Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word’; did not call Defendant Metcalf’s mother a ‘c—‘; and never used any racial slur or hate speech whatsoever. . . . Defendant Metcalf gave false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff allegedly said about the familial statement, thereby instigating the familial statement. intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”
DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches prior to an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Kennedy is also taking legal action against the Steelers for the team’s alleged responsibility in the incident, while Metcalf is accused of assault and battery in the lawsuit. The claims against Ford Field management are also based on liability.
“Defendant Ford Field Management, LLC breached its duty by failing to establish or enforce adequate barriers, protocols or security measures to prevent players from reaching the stands and making physical contact with patrons,” the lawsuit states.
Pakinomist Digital reached out to the Lions for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Metcalf recorded 850 receiving yards in his first season with the Steelers.
