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Michigan resident and self-proclaimed Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy 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 that a lawsuit had been filed in Wayne County Court. The lawsuit seeks $100 million in damages stemming from the Dec. 21 incident and names DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ford Field, the Lions’ former stadium.
Former NFL player Chad Johnson, Ford Field management and multiple media platforms are also named in the lawsuit, alleging they played a role in making “defamatory and life-altering statements” against Kennedy after the incident.
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Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, center, sits next to attorney Sean Murphy, left, and attorney Shawn Head, right, as he discusses the altercation between fans and Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf at Head Murphy Law’s office in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on Dec. 26, 2025. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The filing outlines nine charges, including negligence against Ford Field and multiple defamation claims against Metcalf, Johnson and former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media.
During the first half of the Lions-Steelers game on December 21, Metcalf appeared to take a swing at Kennedy, who was sitting in the stands at Ford Field. The NFL subsequently hit Metcalf with a two-game suspension to close out the regular season.
THE STEEL MAKE AN IMPORTANT CONTRACTUAL DECISION ABOUT DK METCALF AFTER SUSPENSION
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 directed a racial slur at the Steelers receiver and used a derogatory term toward Metcalf’s mother.
Kennedy denied using the slur at a news conference in December, a claim reiterated in the lawsuit.
A general aerial view of Ford Field on December 7, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word’; he did not call Defendant Metcalf’s mother a ‘c—‘; and he never used racial slurs or hate speech of any kind… Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements, which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”
DK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches 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 taking legal action against the Steelers for the team’s alleged responsibility in the incident, while Metcalf is accused of committing assault and battery in the lawsuit. Claims against Ford Field management are also based on liability.
“Defendant Ford Field Management, LLC breached its duty by failing to establish or enforce adequate barriers, protocols, or safety measures to prevent players from reaching the stands and making physical contact with patrons,” the lawsuit reads.
Pak Gazette 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.
