Fan involved in altercation with DK Metcalf files lawsuit for $100 million, report says

Story byWPXI. com News StaffWed, February 4, 2026 at 2:53 AM UTC·1 min readThe fan involved in an altercation with DK Metcalf has filed a lawsuit against the wide receiver, the Pittsburgh Steelers and a handful of others, reports say. Lions fan Ryan Kennedy is asking for $100 million and a public retraction and correction regarding comments made after the incident. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKennedy was the fan that DK Metcalf took a swipe at in December. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Steelers WR DK Metcalf swipes at fan during game NBC reports that the lawsuit targets Metcalf, the Steelers, and Ford Field management, Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson, and Shay Shay Media. According to NBC, Johnson said Kennedy used a racial slur against Metcalf and insulted his mother with a misogynistic term.“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit alleges. “Plaintiff Kennedy... did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever. Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”Metcalf was suspended for two games after the incident. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and .