DETROIT (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf will not face any charges stemming from an incident with a Detroit Lions fan during a game last December.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday that it will not pursue a criminal complaint against Metcalf following an investigation into the incident between Metcalf and Ryan Kennedy.
CBS cameras caught Metcalf and Kennedy, a Lions fan wearing a blue wig and a blue and black shirt that aligned with Detroit’s colors, having an exchange along the rail in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 victory on Dec. 21.
Kennedy leaned over the railing during the exchange, and the blue wig fell forward to cover his face. The interaction ended with Metcalf reaching toward Kelly’s head with his right arm, though he didn’t appear to make much, if any, contact.
The NFL suspended Metcalf for the final two games of the regular season, though he did return for Pittsburgh's first-round playoff loss to Houston.
Officials spent months reviewing a warrant request, including going over videotape of the incident and interviewing Kennedy, security and fans who sat near Kennedy during the game.
The officials ultimately denied the warrant request, noting that Kennedy “did not appear to be injured, nor did he seek medical attention at the game.”
Mitch Schuster, an attorney for Metcalf, applauded what he described as a “just result.”
A defamation lawsuit filed by Kennedy against Metcalf is still pending.
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FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers' DK Metcalf sits on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration was still weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines, with talks ongoing and no final decision yet on whether to move forward with a potential bailout for a carrier mired in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than two years.
Trump emphasized that a deal to rescue the financially strapped airline remained under review. The president did not provide details but said an announcement could come later Friday or Saturday.
“We’re looking at it. If we could do it, we’ll do it. But only if it’s a good deal,” he said, speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Florida.
The possibility of a bailout first emerged publicly last week, when Trump floated the idea of the U.S. government offering Spirit a financial lifeline to help keep the airline from going bust and out of business. Separately, a lawyer for the airline told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that Spirit was in advanced talks with the government over financing that could allow it to exit Chapter 11 protection.
The president suggested the government would be able to resell the airline known for its bright yellow planes and “no frills” service for a profit once oil prices driven up by the Iran war come down.
Lawmakers from both parties and some members of the Trump administration have criticized the idea of using taxpayer funds to keep the ultra-low cost airline afloat. Speculation around Spirit's future and the likelihood of a deal emerging has mounted with every day that passes without a resolution as the airline's operating expenses and debts mount.
A spokesperson for Spirit, which has its headquarters in Dania Beach, Florida, declined to comment on ongoing discussions Friday and said “Spirit is operating as usual.”
The Trump administration has delivered what the president described as a “final proposal” to the airline. He framed the possible federal intervention as an effort to preserve jobs but stressed that any financial arrangement worked out would have to benefit the government.
“If we can help them, we will," Trump said. “But we have to come first.”
Supporters of a rescue — including labor unions representing Spirit's pilots and flight attendants — say that a collapse would cost jobs, reduce competition and push fares higher.
The airline has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic, weighed down by rising operating costs and growing debt. By the time it filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024, Spirit had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020.
The budget carrier sought bankruptcy protection again in August 2025, when it reported having $8.1 billion in debts and $8.6 billion in assets, according to court filings.
Shortly before, its parent company revealed in a quarterly report that it had “substantial doubt” about Spirit’s ability to stay in business over the next year, citing “adverse market conditions” — including weak leisure domestic travel demand and ongoing “uncertainties in its business operations.”
About 1.7 million passengers took domestic flights with Spirit Airlines in February, about 500,000 fewer than it did during the same month a year earlier, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Spirit also has reduced its capacity by 51.6% year over year, Cirium said. The airline has roughly half as many seats on scheduled flights this month as it did in May 2025: 1,646,878 compared to 3,399,378, the firm said.
Rising jet fuel costs tied to the Iran war have intensified pressure on the airline. Its creditors last month expressed doubts about whether Spirit could continue operating, raising the possibility of the airline being forced to sell off assets and shut down.
Yamat reported from Las Vegas.
President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One, Friday, May 1, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters as he prepares to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
FILE - A Spirit Airlines 319 Airbus approaches Manchester Boston Regional Airport for a landing, June 2, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
FILE - The tail of a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 is shown as the plane prepares to take off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Jan. 19, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
