Star Steelers Player's Suspension Could Cost Him Tens Of Millions

PITTSBURGH, PA — Steelers star wide receiver DK Metcalf was suspended by the NFL for two games on Monday after an altercation with a fan during Sunday's game in Detroit. The incident potentially could cost him tens of millions of dollars.

A video showed Metcalf confronting a fan wearing a blue wig in the front row at Ford Field, grabbing him by the shirt and swiping upward. There is no video that indicates Metcalf struck the fan.

Nevertheless, the NFL suspended Metcalf for this week's game against the Cleveland Browns and next week's season finale against the Baltimore Ravens - a game that potentially could decide who wins the AFC North.

"Metcalf's actions violate league policy, which specifies that players may not enter the stands or otherwise confront fans at any time on game day and ... if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in any way that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd-control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held accountable,'" the NFL said in the statement announcing his suspension.

That accountability could be extremely costly to Metcalf.

According to CBS Sports, missing the rest of the regular season will cause him to forfeit more than $550,000 in salary. But the suspension for what the NFL termed "conduct detrimental" to the league potentially voids $45 million in future guaranteed money.

CBS Sports reviewed Metcalf's four-year, $132 million contract and found that the document has a clause that nulls and voids his guarantees if the player is suspended by the NFL or club for conduct deemed detrimental to the team.

It is unclear if the Steelers will force him to forfeit the money.