PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf didn’t end his night celebrating a 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, he spent it in a Baltimore hospital after severe stomach pain struck shortly after the game — pain he now says came from eating at a local restaurant earlier in the day.
According to team sources, Metcalf chose to stop at a Baltimore restaurant before the matchup, despite Patrick Queen warning him not to eat anywhere in the city. Queen himself suffered food poisoning last year under similar circumstances.
“I told him not to eat there. I’ve been through it. He didn’t listen,” one teammate recalled Queen saying after the game.
The issue worsened as the game went on. Metcalf attempted to push through the discomfort but was taken for overnight evaluation when the symptoms escalated. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said the team simply took the safe route.
“It got progressively worse after the game. We just exercised an abundance of caution. We wanted to understand what he was dealing with before flying him home,” Tomlin said.
Before the illness forced a hospital trip, Metcalf delivered his best performance of the season: seven receptions for 148 yards. He even stepped in on special teams late in the game, something almost unheard of for a WR earning more than $30 million per year.
But once discharged, Metcalf did not hold back.
“I shouldn’t be getting sick from something that simple. It ruined my night and sent me to the hospital. That place needs to get its act together,
” he said, directly criticizing the Baltimore establishment.
Tomlin added that Metcalf is “moving in the right direction” and does not expect the issue to affect his availability for next Monday night’s game as Pittsburgh aims for its 23rd straight home win.
The injury updates elsewhere were less encouraging.
Left tackle Broderick Jones remains on injured reserve. Andrus Peat, who filled in for Jones, has entered the concussion protocol. Backup Calvin Anderson is also out after being injured in practice.
Dylan Cook took over for Peat in Baltimore and would likely start if Peat cannot clear protocol. Tomlin praised the fill-in lineman:
“He’s worked hard and stayed professional. Sometimes one man’s misfortune becomes another man’s opportunity,
” Tomlin said.
Rookie DL Derrick Harmon may return after missing two games. Linebacker Malik Harrison and tight end Darnell Washington are both in the concussion protocol. Cornerback James Pierre is dealing with a calf injury.
Despite the win that pushed Pittsburgh back to the top of the AFC North, the aftermath turned chaotic — and this time, the trouble didn’t come from the Ravens, but from a Baltimore restaurant that left their star wideout hospitalized.
