Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — For the first time since his incident with a fan in Detroit, DK Metcalf spoke to the media on Monday afternoon. Unsurprisingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ star receiver was asked to explain what happened with the Lions fan.
“No, I can’t,” Metcalf said.
Metcalf reiterated that he couldn’t speak on the matter when he was asked if he could give any insight into his appeal and the process of talking to the NFL.
“I can’t walk y’all through nothing that happened,” Metcalf said.
Metcalf did say that he was surprised the suspension was upheld after he appealed.
“Yeah, but that’s all I can say,” Metcalf said.
The fan, Ryan Kennedy, claimed he provoked Metcalf by using his full name. Former NFL wideout Chad Johnson said Metcalf told him that Kennedy used a racial slur and spoke negative of his mother.
Kennedy denied any such wrongdoing during a press conference last month.
“It is really hard to get me upset, but there’s two things — animal abuse, racism — like, I get hot right away,” Kennedy said. “Like, I can feel it in my face, it’s all warm. So I guess I wanna be crystal-clear about one thing. I didn’t use any racial slurs, no hate speech, none of that stuff at the game. Actually, never — 15-year season ticket holder for the Lions — I’ve never done that at all.
“So DeKaylin, if you’re watching this, man, if you could just say that, please. My family is getting threats and stuff, and it’s not cool.”
Courtesy of Fox 2 Detroit, Lions fan Ryan Kennedy’s full statement given before questions at his press conference on Friday morning.
Worth noting, he refers to #Steelers WR DK Metcalf by his full first name, which Kennedy said was what bothered Metcalf before their incident on… pic.twitter.com/mA3mHGd94m
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) December 26, 2025
Metcalf had to sit and watch from afar for the past two games, hoping he could get back on the field.
“I feel full responsibility for my actions, and that’s it,” Metcalf said. “But I’ve got the utmost respect and confidence in my teammates for still going out there and performing to the best of their abilities.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers WR DK Metcalf Finally Breaks Silence on Detroit Fan Incident
