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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin voiced his support for wide receiver DK Metcalf before the star player’s two-game suspension for throwing a punch at a fan was upheld.
Tomlin did not explain his reaction to seeing the clip, which showed Metcalf near the fence between the Steelers sideline and the stands. The CBS broadcast captured the interaction, which showed Metcalf putting on the fan’s shirt and taking a swing.
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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches from the sidelines during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on December 7, 2025. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
The longtime head coach acknowledged Tuesday the growing “volatile rhetoric” in the sport.
“Not just (in) our business, (but) parents of colleges and young athletes,” he said. “I think it’s just a part of the sport that has grown and grown tremendously in recent years, and that’s unfortunate.”
It’s unclear what exactly the fan, identified as Ryan Kennedy, said to Metcalf that sparked the altercation. Kennedy was accused of making a racist comment and uttering a derogatory remark about the player’s mother. However, Kennedy vehemently denied these accusations in a statement through a law firm. The statement said no hateful language was used.
Another report states that when Metcalf played for the Seattle Seahawks, he reported the fan to team personnel while he was in Detroit previously.
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DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers wipes his face on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)
Tomlin didn’t speculate when asked if other teams could do more to protect players in this situation.
“Talking about it and talking about it in detail and especially expressing my opinion on things does not help the circumstances,” he said.
The NFL confirmed Metcalf’s suspension Tuesday evening.
The league said Metcalf violated league policy, which states that players cannot enter the stands or confront fans at any time on game day and … if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in a manner that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held responsible.
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He will miss the team’s final two games of the season and leave a lot of money on the table.
