Sunday’s Steelers-Lions game has given the league office a little extra work to do on Monday.
Per a league source, the NFL will turn its attention tomorrow to the contact in which receiver DK Metcalf engaged with a fan during the first half of the Week 16 game.
As the source explained it, precedent for incidents of this nature points to a fine. Once the league takes a closer look at the video and considers the relevant factors, however, a stronger punishment could be imposed on Metcalf.
Unlike the Week 1 incident between Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and a fan in Buffalo, the fan (based on the available video) did not initiate contact with Metcalf. Metcalf approached the stands and grabbed the fan’s shirt and pulled down — before punching up at the fan. It’s unclear whether Metcalf contacted the fan’s face, given the presence of the fan’s Honolulu blue wig.
The league also will presumably search for any other available video of the incident, from NFL-operated cameras to CBS cameras to any other video that may surface.
Regardless, Metcalf’s decision to interact physically with a fan during the game will be a significant topic for discussion and debate on Monday and beyond, regardless of whether he is or isn’t suspended by the NFL.
