A Michigan fan has filed a $100 million lawsuit against DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Ford Field, escalating last month’s sideline clash into a legal fight.
According to Fox News, Ryan Kennedy, a self-described Detroit Lions fan, announced the filing in Wayne County Court. The suit seeks $100 million in damages and includes multiple claims, including assault and battery against Metcalf, negligence against stadium management, and defamation allegations tied to statements made after the incident.
Former NFL players Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe’s media platform is also named, along with other parties that the complaint says helped spread what Kennedy calls “defamatory and life-altering statements.”
At the center of the lawsuit is Kennedy’s denial that he used racist or derogatory language. The filing states: “The statements were false and reckless. Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word’; did not call Defendant Metcalf’s mother a ‘c*nt’; and did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever.”
The complaint further alleges that Metcalf provided inaccurate information that fueled those accusations, which then circulated publicly.
Kennedy’s legal team also argues that stadium safeguards were insufficient. The lawsuit claims Ford Field management “failed to establish or enforce adequate barriers, protocols, or security measures to prevent players from reaching into the stands and making physical contact with patrons.”
CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson said during the game, “The fan said something to him. Obviously, Metcalf did not like what he said.”
Video later posted online showed Metcalf grabbing the fan’s shirt collar and shoving him back. No flag was thrown, and the fan remained in his seat.