Getty Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf at Lumen Field on August 10, 2023.
The Seattle Seahawks‘ abysmal performance against Los Angeles Rams was already a tough watch, Lumen Field started to empty long before the game ended, but seeing DK Metcalf once again lose his composure was even more embarrassing.
During the fourth quarter, the Seahawks star wide receiver unnecessarily shoved Rams cornerback Akhello Witherspoon to the ground. BroBible’s Dov Kleinman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “This was a Dirty, dirty move by DK Metcalf. Way away from the play as well, the defender stayed down for a while.”
Witherspoon did not return to the game after the hit. Metcalf was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and later for taunting on the Rams sidelines. “So Metcalf keeping his cool remains a problem,” ESPN’s Brady Henderson posted. And now, he must literally pay for those mistakes.
DK Metcalf just randomly shoved Ahkello Witherspoon from behind.
He eventually got hit with a taunting.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero posted on Saturday, September 16, “The NFL fined #Seahawks WR DK Metcalf $10,927 for unnecessary roughness – decking #Rams DB Akhello Witherspoon away from the play, incensing coach Sean McVay – and another $10,927 for unsportsmanlike conduct a short time later in last week’s opener.”
The fine comes as no surprise, especially since Witherspoon was injured on the play. “Ahkello had a rib and hit contusion with that shot that he took at the end of the game, but all of those guys should be OK,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said of Witherspoon, per USA Today.
After the Seahawks’ 30-13 loss in Week 1, Metcalf told reporters what led to his penalties. “I was blocking too hard and pushed him to the ground and he got mad because he felt I blocked him from the back. But I block every play… so that’s what transpired.”
“I seen their coaches yelling at me and their players and I let that get to me and I retaliated,” Metcalf added. “I gotta be better in that aspect.”
Pete Carroll Had a ‘Serious’ Talk With DK Metcalf After the Game
GettySeahawks head coach Pete Carroll at Lumen Field on January 01, 2023.
Metcalf, who signed a three-year, $72 million extension last offseason, was ripped on social media for the cheap hit that cost the team a 15-yard penalty.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll discussed Metcalf’s lack of composure during an appearance on Seattle Sports radio the next morning, per ESPN. “DK and I talked for a long time last night about [how] that’s not what we can allow to happen because that means that they can control him and get after him,” Carroll said.
“So, he has to elevate above that. So it’s a challenge. This is nothing new. DK’s been an emotional, feisty, fiery player since the day he got here, and that is who he is. But he has to also manage that so they don’t take advantage of it.”
During a press conference later that day, Carroll sounded confident his message got through Metcalf. “He was great talking about the end of the game and all that stuff,” Carroll said. “We had a great conversation, very serious, man-to-man down to it. He wants to be great and he wants to do everything he can to be great, and so we’ll figure it out.”
DK Metcalf Is Ready for a Fresh Start Against the Detroit Lions in Week 2
GettySeahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf at Lumen Field on September 10, 2023.
The Seahawks have a lot to work ahead of their Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions, but with the team entering hostile territory at Ford Field on Sunday, September 17, Metcalf will be facing a serious mental test.
No only is the noise level expected to force the Seahawks offense into a silent count, but Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson upped the ante by asking the entire fan base to wear blue ski masks at their home opener.
Metcalf sounded ready to turn the page during a press conference on September 13. “I believe that we had expectations of what we wanted to be or what we wanted to look like and that wasn’t what transpired. The only thing I can say is, it was a good thing that it happened Week 1. A quick wake-up call that any Sunday you can get beat… We got that knockout punch early, we’re going to get back up and just keep fighting.”
As for his discussion with Carroll, “That’s between me and Pete,” Metcalf said. “But the gist of the message was that I’m a target now and I’ve got to carry myself as such and not continue to hurt the team. That’s what I’m going to do.”