by: Daniel Hager 8 hours ago DanielHagerOn3
Controversy struck last Sunday afternoon during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 29-24 victory over the Detroit Lions when Steelers star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf reached into the Ford Field stands and assaulted a fan — who self-identified as Ryan Kennedy — leading to a two-game suspension from the NFL.
Kennedy, a Detroit Lions season-ticket holder for 15 seasons, held a press conference on Friday to address the situation and ask Metcalf to correct the narrative about what happened to spark the confrontation. CBS cameras caught Metcalf approach Kennedy in the stands, aggressively grab him by his shirt before swatting at Kennedy’s face and walking back to the Steelers bench.
“It is really hard to get me upset,” Kennedy said. “There are two things, animal abuse and racism, that make me hot right away. I can feel my face get all warm. So, I guess I want to be crystal clear about one thing. I did not use any racial slurs. No hate speech. None of that stuff.
“I’m a 15 year season ticket holder for the Lions and I’ve never done that at all. Dekaylin, if you’re watching this man, if you could just say that, please,” Kennedy continued. “My family’s getting threats and stuff. It’s not cool. Whether you said that or not, I’m sure you didn’t want that to happen to my family. Even if you did, I forgive you man.”
Ryan Kennedy’s statement following the exchange with DK Metcalf. “I did not use any racial slurs…no hate speech…none of that stuff at the game” pic.twitter.com/ufhvU9m5aG
— Jeremy Otto (@JeremyOttoPxP) December 26, 2025
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, a source close to Metcalf said Kennedy allegedly directed a derogatory comment toward Metcalf’s mother and used a racial slur toward the receiver. Kennedy however claimed that Metcalf reacted because he was called by his full legal name, which he continued to do on Friday.