Statistically, no player in the league breaches decorum quite like DK Metcalf. A JustGamblers study crowned him the NFL’s worst-behaved player in 2023, noting an astonishing 1.3 offenses per game, exceeding standard penalty metrics in under a quarter of the usual timeframe. That trend hasn’t changed since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, when he got involved in a fan altercation that resulted in a suspension. Now, the 28-year-old sparked outrage again by posting a photo on social media, which drew immediate backlash from ESPN reporter Jenna Laine. 

On August 27, Metcalf posted a picture on his Instagram story of an old man inside what appeared to be a grocery store. The wide receiver shared a joke, bodyshaming the person. 

“The build:” he wrote. “God: mhm imma make a 2 waist build.”

The Steelers Depot account on X shared a screenshot of the story, sparking an online debate. 

“This man is working in a grocery store, minding his own business,” Jenna Laine said. “Why is it acceptable to take his photograph and post it on the internet while body-shaming him, on top of the fact that he’s old enough to be someone’s grandfather?”

Clearly, this post did not endear Metcalf to the fans in Pittsburgh. Hence, besides the analyst, the Black and Gold faithful also called out Metcalf for his disrespectful remark. 

“That’s an L for DK ngl. Making fun of people working is lame, especially about their body shape,” a fan wrote. 

“Targeting a hardworking dude just because of how he looks is messed up. DK already got suspended for putting hands on a fan… and now he’s online clowning regular people just doing their job?” a fan thought of reminding Metcalf where he is going wrong.

This is not the first time Metcalf has gotten involved in controversy. During the Steelers face-off against the Detroit Lions last December, he got involved in an altercation with a fan at Ford Field. Metcalf moved toward the fan, grabbed his collar to bring him closer, and then pushed him back with force. The NFL then suspended him for two games without pay. 

Two months later, in February 2026, the fan filed a $100 million lawsuit against Metcalf and several others, alleging defamation and other claims. Former NFL players Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe are included in that lawsuit for publicly suggesting Metcalf’s actions were motivated by the fan using racist language. That lawsuit remains ongoing.

The fans didn’t stop there.

“They told me GP was a problem tho. This guy is even worse,” another fan placed his verdict.

“What a f****** dork dude taking pictures of a grown a** man at the grocery store,” an angry fan wrote. 

“What exactly is he trying to accomplish with this?💀” questioned a fan.

“Traded away GP for yet another immature d*******,” a fan regretted. 

While exceptionally talented, George Pickens exhausted the Steelers’ organization with a pattern of immaturity and unreliability. Combined with Pittsburgh’s reluctance to pay two elite wide receivers simultaneously, the team traded Pickens to Dallas and acquired Metcalf. 

Yet, Metcalf and Pickens remain cut from the exact same cloth. During Pickens’ time in Pittsburgh, his unnecessary roughness, taunting, and conduct detrimental to the team resulted in over $200,000 in combined fines from the NFL and the Steelers in a single year. That drama followed him to Dallas. Following the Cowboys’ 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions, where Pickens managed just 5 catches for 37 yards, NFL analyst Richard Sherman slammed him for taking plays off. 

Pickens initially admitted that “you can’t just disappear,” only to fire back in a deleted post claiming Sherman “AIN’T SHH WITHOUT THE LEGION OF BOOM.” 

Both wideouts share a track record of controversy, but fans feel Metcalf’s latest off-field antics crossed an entirely different line. During his time with Seattle, Metcalf racked up a string of high-profile infractions, including a fierce shouting match with side judge Allen Baynes and taunting 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Those two incidents alone cost the Seahawks 88,591 in fines, a hefty total that topped the reporter’s list of repeat offenders.

Moreover, the timing of this recent incident is a bit sensitive, since the Steelers have moved to create additional cap space by restructuring Metcalf’s contract after his first season in Pittsburgh.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Pittsburgh reworked Metcalf’s contract Thursday, turning some of his base salary into a signing bonus and freeing up nearly $18 million in 2026 cap space. 

The restructuring does not amount to a pay cut, as the Steelers simply converted part of his $25 million scheduled base salary into a signing bonus. That amount can now be spread across the remaining years of his contract, reducing his 2026 cap hit from $31 million. The 28-year-old ended the regular season with 59 catches for 850 yards and six touchdowns, numbers that fell short of the lofty expectations surrounding his arrival in Pittsburgh.

With contract talks between the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr. stalled, the cap space from Metcalf’s restructured deal could help Pittsburgh make progress toward a deal in the coming weeks.