The incident occurred Dec. 21 during Pittsburgh’s 29-24 win over Detroit. Kennedy, who was leaning over the railing behind the Steelers’ bench, contends Metcalf grabbed his blue wig, yanked it down, and threw a jab that appeared to miss. Audio of what was said has not been released, and Kennedy says security did not remove him from the game.
In addition to the assault and battery claim against Metcalf, Kennedy’s filing seeks damages from the Steelers for liability related to the incident. He also seeks court-ordered public retractions to clear his name in relation to the media coverage prompted by Sharpe and Johnson’s podcast remarks, which Kennedy says defamed him in national outlets.
As of February 4, there had been no public responses from Metcalf, the Steelers, Sharpe, or Johnson to the lawsuit. The defamation claims hinge on clips from the Sharpe-Johnson podcast that were picked up by major networks, reinforcing Kennedy’s allegations of reputational harm.
Metcalf served a two-game suspension at the end of the Steelers’ regular season, causing him to miss the final two games (a loss at Cleveland and a win over Baltimore) as Pittsburgh clinched a playoff berth. He returned for the postseason, recording two catches for 42 yards in the Wild Card loss to Houston, 30-6. The developing legal matter adds a new layer of offseason scrutiny for the organization and its players.
