The Pittsburgh Steelers took a two-game lead in the AFC North with their Week 16 win over the Detroit Lions. However, the victory was overshadowed by an incident involving DK Metcalf and a fan.
The veteran wideout was suspended for two games after taking a swing at a fan in Detroit. While Metcalf did not appear to make contact with the person in the stands, the league took immediate action and upheld the suspension after an appeal. However, the fan’s conduct is now under scrutiny and Aaron Rodgers weighed in on spectators crossing a line with athletes.
“I think there’s a mindset that you pay for a ticket, you say whatever the hell you want. I think there should be some sort of code of conduct. Obviously that was intentional and I think there was some celebration afterward in his part,” Rodgers said per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
The Steelers won’t have DK Metcalf for remainder of regular season
The NFL initially announced that no action would be taken against the fan involved in the incident. But league officials are now reviewing the spectator code of conduct with the Lions.
The fan in question told The Detroit Free Press that he simply called the wideout by his full name, DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf. That, according to the person involved in the altercation, is what triggered Metcalf.
It’s unclear if that’s all that was said to provoke the two-time Pro Bowler into a physical confrontation. However, video has since emerged that indicates the fan intended to start a fight with Metcalf.
Nonetheless, the NFL sent a message with the two-game ban. No retaliation against fans will be tolerated by the league. And now the Steelers will be without their top receiver for two pivotal matchups at the end of the season.
Rodgers has led the Steelers to the top of the AFC North with a 9-6 record in his Pittsburgh debut. Now he must help the team secure a playoff berth without his top wideout.
The veteran quarterback acknowledged how fantasy football, gambling and social media have impacted the NFL over the course of his career. “A lot of that stuff is really good for the sport. Now at the same time, as you’re seeing parts of society erode, maybe the conduct has changed over the years,” Rodgers said, per Pryor.
