PHOENIX —NFL owners have approved a rule change related to the incident regarding Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf last season.
At the 2026 NFL owners meetings on Tuesday, league owners approved an amended proposal from the NFL competition committee that allows the league office to consult with officials on the field regarding a potential ejection, even if a flag was not thrown on the play. Previously, the league office could only consult on plays where a flag is thrown by the on-field officiating staff.
The proposal was amended to also allow the league office to tell the officials to add a flag, which was a change from the ignition proposal.
Metcalf shoved Lions fan Ryan Kennedy in the first half of a game between the Steelers and Lions on Dec. 21, after Kennedy had been heckling Metcalf.
The was not noticed by on-field officials at the time, despite being caught by TV cameras. Metcalf was allowed to finish the game before being handed a two-game suspension.
With the change, Metcalf could have been ejected after the league office reviewed the television footage.
Metcalf was suspended for the final two games of the regular season for the incident, forfeiting over $550,000 in salary. He appealed that suspension to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but his appeal was denied . The Steelers could have chosen to void his future guaranteed salary, but declined to do so.
Kennedy has field a lawsuit, naming the Metcalf, the Steelers, Lions and Ford Field as defendants, and is seeking $100 million in damages, alleging assault and defamation. As of February, Detroit Police were still investigating the incident , but no criminal charges have been filed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : NFL Approves Rule Change Related to DK Metcalf Altercation
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