The Detroit Lions.
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The NFL is proposing a rule change for the 2026-27 season following a controversial Detroit Lions fan incident.
The Detroit Lions are looking ahead to the future, and that means leaving the 2025-26 season in the rearview mirror. But, going forward, the NFL is proposing a new rule that appears to be related to an incident that happened during the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers game on December 21, 2025.
So, let’s start with that game. During the showdown, Metcalf pushed Lions fan Ryan Kennedy during in the first half of a game between the Steelers and Lions, following Kennedy heckling Metcalf. Referees didn’t notice the incident during the game, but it was caught by TV cameras. Regardless, Metcalf was able to finish the game and wasn’t ejected during the game.
But, after the incident, Metcalf was given a two-game suspension from the NFL. Now, the league has proposed a new rule that would have made it so Metcalf was ejected during the game.
New NFL Rule Proposal Would Have Changed the 2025 Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Game
On Tuesday, March 24, the NFL competition committee proposed five potential rule changes and three bylaw changes. The NFL owners will vote on these changes at their annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, next week.
One of the changes would allow the NFL league office to consult with on-field officials about potential ejections for flagrant football or non-football actions, even if the play wasn’t flagged by the officials. With the current rule, the NFL office is only allowed to consult on plays where a flag is thrown by the on-field officiating staff.
So, if this rule change passes, Metcalf could have been ejected during that Lions game.
Metcalf was suspended for the final two games of the regular season for the incident, which meant giving up more than $550,000 in salary. He appealed that suspension to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but the NFL denied his appeal.
Detroit Lions May Get Tackle Help for 2026-27 Season
The 2026 NFL draft is on the way in April, and Field Yates of ESPN believes that the Lions will snag a tackle as their first pick. In his Tuesday, March 24 projection, Yates has Detroit picking offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor of Alabama as the team’s No. 17 pick.
“Left tackle is a sizable need for Detroit with the departure of Taylor Decker after 10 seasons,” he says in the piece. “Proctor is a sizable answer to the problem — literally — at 6-7, 352 pounds. He has power when he gets his hands on defenders in the running game as well.”
He adds, “Proctor’s tape had up-and-down moments during his final college season, as sometimes his foot quickness was overmatched by edge rushers. But the upside is immense for the 20-year-old left tackle, who started all 40 games he appeared in at Alabama.”
In no big surprise, Yates has the Las Vegas Raiders using their No. 1 pick to go with quarterback Fernando Mendoza of Indiana.
“The draft starts at No. 2, as this pick has been etched in stone basically since the order was decided,” he says in the piece. “Mendoza’s Heisman-winning season displayed superior accuracy, arm strength, ability to scan the field, clutch production and good in-pocket mobility.”