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Ryan Kennedy, a Michigan resident and self-described Detroit Lions fan, 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 news conference in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on Dec. 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’ longtime home stadium.
Former NFL player Chad Johnson, Ford Field management and multiple media platforms were also listed in the lawsuit, alleging that they played a role in making “defamatory and life-altering statements” against Kennedy in the aftermath of the incident.
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Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, center, seated next to attorney Sean Murphy, left, and attorney Shawn Head, right, while discussing the fan-involved altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf at the Head Murphy Law office in Farmington Hills, Michigan on Dec. 26, 2025. (Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The filing outlines nine counts, 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 Dec. 21, Metcalf appeared to take a swing at Kennedy, who was seated in the Ford Field stands. The NFL later disciplined Metcalf with a two-game suspension to close the regular season.
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On an episode of Shay Shay Media’s “Nightcap” podcast released the day after the incident, co-host Chad Johnson said Metcalf told him Kennedy directed a racial slur at the Steelers receiver and used a derogatory term toward Metcalf’s mother.
Kennedy denied using any slurs at a December press conference, a claim reiterated in the lawsuit.
A general overall aerial view of Ford Field on Dec. 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’; did not call Defendant Metcalf’s mother a ‘c—‘; and did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever … 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 looks on prior to an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium on Aug. 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Kennedy is also taking legal action against the Steelers for the team’s alleged liability in the incident, while Metcalf is accused of committing assault and battery in the lawsuit. The claims against Ford Field management are also based on liability.
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“Defendant Ford Field Management, LLC breached its duty by failing to establish or enforce adequate barriers, protocols, or security measures to prevent players from reaching into the stands and making physical contact with patrons,” the lawsuit reads.
Fox News Digital contacted the Lions requesting comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Metcalf recorded 850 receiving yards in his first season with the Steelers.
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