Steelers reportedly don't intend to void DK Metcalf's $45M in guarantees after suspension for fan altercation

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly aren't wavering on DK Metcalf. 

Metcalf's suspension for his sideline altercation with a Detroit Lions fan reportedly voided $45 million in guarantees in his four-year, $132 million contract with the Steelers. But the Steelers are keeping those guarantees intact, Fox's Jay Glazer reports. 

Per Glazer on Fox's Sunday pregame show, the Steelers "have decided not" to remove Metcalf's guarantees and want to "make a long-term commitment to DK Metcalf." It's not clear from the report if the Steelers are actually altering Metcalf's contract language or are just making an informal commitment to the wide receiver. 

As previously reported by CBS' Jonathan Jones, Metcalf's contract stipulates that if he "fails… to practice or play with the Club for any reason," including "Player's suspension by the NFL or Club for Conduct Detrimental," his guarantees "will be NULL AND VOID."

When the NFL suspended, then upheld Metcalf's two-game ban for taking a swing at a Lions fan in Detroit in Week 16, that clause was triggered, and Metcalf's remaining $45 million in guarantees were voided. That didn't mean that Metcalf would lose that $45 million — just that it wasn't guaranteed in the event that the Steelers released him for any reason

Glazer's report on Sunday comes on the heels of a report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero last week that the Steelers "have already reaffirmed their commitment to Metcalf for 2026 and beyond."

Metcalf's contract money never really appeared to be in significant peril. Metcalf signed with the Steelers as the prize of their free-agent class last offseason. He's 28 years old and in his prime and is the clear No. 1 receiving option in Pittsburgh. The Steelers signed him to that contract because they want him on the team.

Unless the Steelers decided that the fan interaction was a cuttable offense, all signs pointed to Metcalf's long-term status with the team — and his contract money — being safe. And subsequent reporting has reinforced that notion.