As Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf serves a two-game suspension, new information has surfaced that sheds light on earlier issues between Metcalf and the Detroit Lions fan at the center of the incident. According to FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer, the situation was not new — and league security, along with the Lions and Metcalf’s former team, the Seattle Seahawks, were already aware of the fan’s behavior last season.

Speaking during FOX’s pregame coverage, Glazer revealed that security teams from both Detroit and Seattle had documented an incident involving the same individual when Metcalf was still with the Seahawks.

“I have the actual security correspondence from a Lions–Seahawks game last year,” Glazer explained. “DK Metcalf alerted security about this same fan and requested that he be removed after making an extremely offensive remark.”
Glazer declined to repeat the language used, but emphasized that security staff took the complaint seriously.

According to the report, nearby spectators confirmed that the fan’s conduct crossed the line and supported Metcalf’s account. Several witnesses reportedly even urged stadium officials to remove the individual due to the nature of the comments.
While Glazer made clear that physical confrontations with fans are unacceptable under any circumstances, he noted that the most puzzling aspect of the situation lies elsewhere.

“What’s strange here,” Glazer said, “is that the Pittsburgh Steelers had no prior knowledge of this history.”
That revelation raises significant questions about how information is shared across teams and within the league. If Metcalf had already flagged this fan in the past, critics argue that stronger preventative measures should have been in place to avoid another confrontation.

The situation increasingly appears to reflect broader shortcomings by both the NFL and the Lions organization in ensuring player safety near the field. The fact that Metcalf’s current team was reportedly unaware of prior incidents only adds to the criticism.

Despite the growing scrutiny, it remains unlikely that the league will reverse Metcalf’s suspension or compensate him for lost time and salary — even though the fan involved had previously been identified as a problem and was still able to interact closely with the player from the stands.