It’s not often that an NFL player finds themselves taking a swing at someone in the stands. But it also happens just usually enough for the league to have rulings and stipulations for it. It’s often a costly endeavor for the offending player, resulting in both fines and suspensions. But for the fans who manage to walk away from the incident, there are often thoughts of dollar signs and lawsuits.
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In fact, Ryan Kennedy, the Detroit Lions fan who was targeted by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ star wide receiver, D.K. Metcalf, during a Week 16 contest in Detroit, is doing just that. Per Kennedy’s attorney, Shawn Head, the “assault” and “false accusations of racism and racial slurs” that were thrown his client’s way resulted in “very real damage,” and as a result, they will be filing a lawsuit.
According to the NFL Hall of Famer, Cris Carter, Kennedy may not be receiving the big payday that he’s hoping for. “Anytime you grab someone, yes, that’s assault,” Carter prefaced. “There is actually something there, but I don’t think the fan is gonna be able to gain any compensation because what did he lose out on? Did he lose work? Mental stress?”
The incident technically voided $45 million worth of guarantees in Metcalf’s contract, but the Steelers were kind enough to confirm that they will be honoring the deal anyway. He missed out on more than $555,000 in game checks as a result of his two-game suspension, but if he’s able to avoid any meaningful costs in court, then the 28-year-old may walk away from this incident relatively unfazed.
It’s also worth noting that, in Metcalf’s defense, this wasn’t the first time that he had an issue with Kennedy. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer confirmed that the wide receiver had “asked for that fan to be removed over a very derogatory comment” while competing against the Lions as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.
According to Glazer’s copy of the security’s communications, “individuals around him stated and corroborated that the fan was being out of line and had indeed said these derogatory statements. They even asked us to remove the guy.”
Suffice to say, all of these details and more will be brought up in court, as both men will be tasked with explaining their side of things to a jury of their peers. Of course, regardless of what the final verdict may be, it’s a disappointing end to the 2025 regular season for Metcalf.
With an average of 3.9 receptions per game, the seven-year veteran could have easily recorded his highest single-season reception total since 2023 had he been able to play the final two games of the season. To make matters even worse, the Steelers now find themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario in Week 18, and if they manage to come up short, then a lot of heads are going to turn towards their $132-million wide receiver, who wasn’t there because he wanted to teach one fan a lesson.
