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Ryan Kennedy, a Michigan resident and self-proclaimed Detroit Lions fan, is taking legal action following 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 a lawsuit had been filed in Wayne County Court. The suit 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, alleging they played a role in making “defamatory and upsetting statements” against Kennedy following 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 Shay Shay Media former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe.
During the first half of the Lions-Steelers game on Dec. 21, Metcalf appeared to attack Kennedy, who was sitting in the stands at Ford Field. The NFL then sanctioned Metcalf with a two-game suspension to close 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 that Kennedy had hurled a racial slur at the Steelers receiver and used a derogatory term toward Metcalf’s mother.
Kennedy denied using slurs during a December news conference, a claim reiterated in the lawsuit.
A general aerial view of Ford Field on December 7, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
“These statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit says. “Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word; reckless, which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”
DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on before a 2025 NFL preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Kennedy is also filing a lawsuit against the Steelers for the team’s alleged liability in the incident, while Metcalf is accused of committing assault and battery in the lawsuit. Claims against Ford Field management also rest 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 accessing the stands and making physical contact with patrons,” the lawsuit states.
PK Press Club 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.
