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The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday that Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver DK Metcalf will not be charged in connection with an altercation with a Detroit Lions fan at Ford Field in December.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office also denied a request for a warrant.
“On December 21, 2025, during an NFL football game at Ford Field, located in the 2000 block of Brush Street in Detroit, a 45-year-old Lions fan was seated in the stands behind the Pittsburgh Steelers bench and allegedly heckled player DeKaylin Metcalf, 28. Around 5:30 p.m., it is alleged that the fan left his seat holding a Metcalf jersey to get a autograph,” the ad says. said.
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DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on before an NFL preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 16, 2025. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
“As he approached the front rail of the stands, he said something to Mr. Metcalf. As Mr. Metcalf approached the stands, there was a brief interaction during which Mr. Metcalf grabbed his shirt and pushed him away. The fan did not appear to be injured nor did he seek medical attention during the game.”
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said the fan, Ryan Kennedy, security personnel and those present were all interviewed, accompanied by video footage from different angles. After careful consideration, she chose not to bill Metcalf.
Kennedy filed a $100 million lawsuit that names Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ford Field, Lions Stadium, Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe.
The filing outlines nine counts, including negligence against Ford Field and multiple defamation claims against Sharpe’s Metcalf, Johnson and Shay Shay Media.
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Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy holds a news conference at the office of Head Murphy Law in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on December 26, 2025, to discuss the fan-involved altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Kennedy’s attorney, Jon Marko, told PK Press Club Digital that the lack of criminal charges against Metcalf was irrelevant to their civil case. He cited the prosecutor’s lack of resources for not charging Metcalf.
“The prosecutor’s decision has absolutely nothing to do with our case, our civil case. You know, prosecutors’ offices, especially busy prosecutors’ offices and large metropolitan areas like Detroit, have priorities when they make charging decisions, and they have a very limited amount of resources that they can use, and they use those resources to pursue the most egregious crimes, such as homicides and things of that nature. I mean, in this case, clearly the video shows what I believe to be an assault and battery, any reasonable person watching I think we would see the same thing,” Marko told PK Press Club Digital.
“It happened in public. There were many witnesses, and it was on video, but I think it was the expense and the resources to prosecute this assault and battery offense that probably led the DA’s office to decide not to charge, not the idea that the crime was not committed, was not committed. So it doesn’t matter to us whether the DA charged or not, we’re still going to seek full justice for the assault and battery. injuries through our civil case.”
Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster, Metcalf’s attorney, applauded the decision to drop the criminal charges.
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DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs during a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on December 21, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
“The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office has declined to file charges against DeKaylin Metcalf related to the incident involving Ryan Kennedy on December 21, 2025. We applaud the decision and are grateful for the hard work and thorough investigation that led to this just outcome.
“We are confident that justice will also prevail in the civil action involving Mr. Kennedy. As Mr. Metcalf’s counterclaim in the civil case makes clear, Mr. Kennedy’s hateful conduct has no place anywhere, least of all in professional sports.”
Metcalf was suspended two games by the NFL for the incident.
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Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy sits with attorneys Sean Murphy and Shawn Head at the office of Head Murphy Law in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on December 26, 2025, to discuss the fan-involved altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Metcalf was shown by the CBS broadcast grabbing a fan by the shirt and throwing a punch. NFL Network reported that the fan made derogatory comments toward the 28-year-old. Kennedy later denied this allegation.
Kennedy told the Detroit Free Press that he heckled Metcalf by calling him by his full name.
PK Press Club Digital reached out to Metcalf’s agent for comment but did not immediately respond.
