The Pittsburgh Steelers went home with a 34-22 win against the Indianapolis Colts on October 11. But for Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, that victory was not enough to make him sleep in peace last night. Metcalf was on the field fighting for something more than defeating the Colts. He proved that he has a big heart during the game, which might turn out to be costly.
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Apparently, taking a look at Metcalf during the game, hardly anyone would have realized that he paid tribute to the late Nolan Wells.
“#Steelers WR DK Metcalf wrote Nolan Wells’ name on his helmet vs. the Colts on Sunday, aware of the possible repercussions,” reported Pittsburgh Steelers Now reporter Brendan Howe.
Metcalf took help of a Sharpie marker to write on the rear bumper of his helmet ahead of Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. With this, Metcalf tried to voice his protest in relation to the unfortunate death of Wells.
The 18-year-old Black college freshman went missing following a July 4 boating trip with friends and was later found dead on an isolated island in Mississippi. During the search, his mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, began looking for answers as a photograph of Wells and his three friends on the boat spread across social media.
The independent autopsy found no evidence of drowning, citing the lack of water in Wells’ stomach, lungs, and throat. It also recorded bruising across several areas, including his head, back, left shoulder, and buttocks.
A grand jury voted unanimously against indicting anyone over Wells’ death.
Wells’ death feels like a personal loss to Metcalf. That’s because the 18-year-old played wide receiver on the Southwest Mississippi Community College football team. But the wide receiver’s open protest won’t go without him receiving a fine slip.
The NFL’s uniform and equipment rules prohibit players from adding unauthorized writing or artwork to their helmets or uniforms. Under Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8, players cannot display personal messages through writing or illustrations on game day unless they have received advance approval from the league office. We saw what happened to Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
After leading Houston in tackles last fall, Al-Shaair used the season opener to pay tribute to a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza by displaying her name on his face. In Week 2, he wrote “Wafaa Akila” on his eye black.
Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 by the NFL last season after writing “stop the genocide” on his eye black during Houston’s wild-card playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This time he got handed a $11,941 fine.
When it comes to Wells’ death, the NFL world is already raising its voice.
NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, on September 26, shared an Instagram video that raised allegations against Wells’ friends, Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour, suggesting they had deleted evidence from his phone after his death. All three men denied the allegations in their lawsuit.
“Arrest them immediately!! Like yesterday,” Owens captioned the post.
However, he got into trouble as the fathers of the three young men, who are also named in the complaint as plaintiffs, complained in a Mississippi court by accusing Owens of defaming them.
When it comes to Metcalf, he has already risked a fine as punishment. Another case against him will be costly after he has already been marked by the league this season.
DK Metcalf Paid Heavy Price for Taunting Against Browns
The Steelers face-off against the Cleveland Browns on October 1 turned out to be heavy on Metcalf’s pocket.
“#Steelers WR DK Metcalf was fined $11,941 for taunting against the #Browns in Week 4,” reported Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders. “Metcalf was also flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play, when he tossed the ball at two Cleveland defenders.”
Metcalf was flagged for taunting after gaining seven yards on third-and-3 during Pittsburgh’s opening offensive drive. Since he had converted the third down, the Steelers retained a first-and-10, but the penalty pushed them back to their own 35-yard line instead of the 50.
The first-quarter play also earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he threw the ball at two Cleveland defenders following a seven-yard reception. This season he has already been flagged five times. It’s now time to see how taking a stand for a social cause will land him in trouble.