After Sunday’s win over the Lions, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said nothing about receiver DK Metcalf’s interaction with a fan. On Tuesday, one day after the NFL suspended Metcalf for two games, Tomlin addressed it. A bit.
“He did explain to me why he did what he did, and I certainly don’t condone the behavior, but I support DK. And I really don’t have a lot to add other than what I just told you,” Tomlin told reporters at his midweek press conference.
Tomlin also declined to address the specifics about the information Metcalf shared, including whether the fan used a slur toward Metcalf.
“I think he has a hearing this afternoon — an appeals hearing, and I certainly don’t want to weigh in prior to that, and certainly I’ve heard more recently that there might be legal ramifications, and so I better be careful about what I say and how I say it. I’m sure you guys got a lot of questions. I understand that, but that’s just a posture I’m in as I sit here today with so many components of this thing yet to be resolved.”
Tomlin later was asked if the team prepares players to deal with potentially “volatile rhetoric” in stadiums.
“You know, I just think volatile rhetoric is a component of our business today, unfortunately,” Tomlin said. “It just is. But not only our business — college, you know, youth-sport parents . . . I think it’s just a component of sport that’s developed and developed in a big way in recent years, and it’s unfortunate. But, really, I have nothing to say about the matter other than that.”
Asked about his reference to potential “legal ramifications,” Tomlin did not elaborate.
One quasi-legal ramification is the appeal hearing, which has $555,555 in base salary and, potentially, millions in bonus forfeiture and/or guaranteed money hinging on it. The fan could also sue, and it sounds as if he will, for assault/battery and/or defamation.
However any legal issues play out down the road, we’ll find out sooner than later if Metcalf will be available on Sunday at Cleveland.
