Aaron Rodgers Comes to Defense of Teammate Suspended for Hitting Fan: They Think ‘You Can Say Whatever the Hell You Want’

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Wednesday argued that fans should be held accountable after receiver DK Metcalf was suspended for his altercation with one.

During the Steelers’ game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, Metcalf exchanged words with a Lions fan in the stands. That exchange quickly turned physical when Metcalf approached the fan, grabbed him by his hair, and swung at him. The incident occurred at halftime, and Metcalf finished the game.

The NFL later suspended him for the final two games of the regular season. As a result of that suspension, the Steelers now have the option to void $45 million in guaranteed money from his contract.

In the days following the incident, it was revealed that the fan — whose name is Ryan Kennedy — had a history with Metcalf. When the star receiver was still a member of the Seattle Seahawks, he played several times against the Lions over the years. On at least one occasion, Metcalf reported Kennedy to team security.

It has not been confirmed what Kennedy said to set Metcalf off. According to former NFL receiver Chad Johnson, Metcalf claimed Kennedy used a racial slur. Kennedy has denied that claim.

Whatever the case may be, Rodgers believed the incident was a textbook example of why the NFL should implement a stricter conduct policy for fans.

“I think there’s a mindset that you pay for a ticket, you can say whatever the hell you want,” Rodgers said. “I think there should be some code of conduct. Obviously that was intentional, and I think there was some celebration afterwards on his part. Obviously don’t condone what DK did, but I understand. There’s been a lot of crazy comments said my way over the years, and the truth is that, that would never happen face-to-face.”

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