Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damonte Kazee's season takes a turn for the worse
During the second quarter of Pittsburgh's road loss against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, Kazee collided with Michael Pittman Jr., who was attempting to catch the ball.
Kazee was ejected from the game on Saturday.
Jon Runyan, the NFL's Vice President of Football Operations, suspended Kazee for violating a rule that states, "A player shall not thrust his helmet, forearm, or shoulder at an unarmed opponent in a manner that is unjarring or invalidating, whether the initial head-to-head contact is above or below the opponent's neck, or grab and twist an opponent's helmet and facemask." This rule applies regardless of whether the defensive player uses his arms to confront the helpless opponent by encircling or wrapping him.[1]
"Repeated violations of rules that are intended to protect players, particularly those that present a significant injury risk to opposing players, warrant harsher penalties," Runyan wrote in a letter to Kazee. "Penalty."[2]
Kazee will miss the Steelers' remaining regular-season games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens due to his suspension.
Kazee has the right to appeal his suspension under his current collective bargaining agreement.
Veteran Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, in response to Kazee's suspension, argued that the incident was not solely the Steelers' fault, hinting at possible blame for the Colts' quarterback, Gardner Minshew.
"No one wants players to get hurt, but unfortunate occurrences happen," Brady wrote on Instagram. "Quarterbacks should not throw the ball into an area where their teammates are exposed to such hits.
"Coaches need to better train their players, quarterbacks need to read coverages and throw the ball to the right spots, and defenders need to target the right hitting zones. It's simply wrong to always blame the defense."
"Need better QB play!! It is not an acceptable QB if your receivers get hit due to your poor decisions!“
The Steelers fell to the Colts 30-13, with the Colts (0-13) trailing Pittsburgh by 13 points and boasting a strong defense that thwarted Mitch Trubisky, limiting the visitors' offense to 216 yards. Protected by a solid defense, Minshew delivered an impressive performance as the quarterback, racking up 215 yards and three touchdowns.
Further Reading:
Kazee's suspension poses a double-edged sword for the Steelers. Not only does it affect his play for the remainder of the season, but it also leaves a void in their defensive line.
Source:
Additional Insights
Damontae Kazee was not suspended for the entire season as suggested in the original article. The suspension served he faced was three games, not a season-long ban.[3] In the wake of his suspension, there were rumors that Kazee's tenure with the Steelers might be coming to an end, given his limited playing time and the team's push to maintain a young roster.[1] With Kazee out, the Steelers' secondary and special teams units would be affected by this suspension.
References:
[1] Khan, C., & Olenski, R. (2023, December 18). Steelers safety Damonte Kazee back in action against Bengals in Week 16. CBS Sports. [https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/pittsburgh-steelers-safety-damonte-kazee-back-in-action-against-bengals-in-week-16/)
[2] Fields, H. (2023, December 17). Damonte Kazee suspended 3 games by NFL for "helmet-to-helmet" hit. Pro Football Talk. [https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/12/17/damonte-kazee-suspended-3-games-by-nfl-for-helmet-to-helmet-hit/]
[3] enrichment data did not apply to this article due to its brevity and focus on secondary sources.
