Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said DK Metcalf will appeal his two-game suspension on Tuesday.

23 December 2025

Metcalf’s appeal comes one day after the NFL suspended him for two games following an altercation with a fan during the Steelers’ Week 16 win against the Lions. Metcalf said the fan, Ryan Kennedy, used a racial slur — an accusation Kennedy has denied through a lawyer. Metcalf had reported Kennedy to Seahawks team security in a previous trip to Detroit to play the Lions before he was traded to the Steelers. “He did explain to me why he did what he did,” Tomlin said of Metcalf. “I certainly don’t condone the behavior, but I support DK.” Metcalf would miss the team’s final two regular season games and return for the playoffs if the two-game punishment stands.