According to ESPN, the punishment stems from an on-field incident involving a fan at Ford Field during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 29–24 win over the Detroit Lions.
In its announcement, the league said Metcalf was suspended “for conduct detrimental to the NFL for initiating a physical confrontation with a fan.”
The ruling cited league policy that strictly prohibits players from entering the stands or confronting spectators under any circumstances on game day. The policy further states that any unnecessary physical contact with a fan that raises safety or crowd-control concerns may result in disciplinary action.
Metcalf is expected to appeal the suspension. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the wide receiver would lose $555,556 in salary across the two games he is set to miss.
The incident occurred midway through the second quarter and quickly drew attention after being captured on the CBS broadcast and later circulated on social media.
The video showed Metcalf approaching a fan seated along the front row railing. At one point, Metcalf grabbed the fan by the collar and shoved him backward. The fan raised his hands after the contact, and no penalty flag was thrown. Stadium officials also did not remove the fan from the game.
The fan involved, later identified as Ryan Kennedy of Pinckney, Michigan, has denied claims that he used racist, misogynistic, or hate-based language.
In a statement released Monday by attorneys Shawn Head and Sean Murphy of Head Murphy Law Firm, Kennedy said those allegations are “completely false.” The statement added that Kennedy has received harassment and threats following online speculation about the exchange.
ESPN also reported that Metcalf had previously flagged Kennedy to team security during past games in Detroit while Metcalf was still with the Seattle Seahawks, who played at Ford Field multiple times over the last several seasons.