The NFL on Sunday suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for rest of the season.
The NFL on Sunday suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for rest of the season without pay after
a hit targeting Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. during their game Saturday.
“With 8:49 remaining in the 2nd quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of playing rules,” John Runyan, the NFL vice president of football operations, wrote in a letter that was posted by the league.
“The video of the play shows that you delivered a forcible blow to the head/neck area of Colts’ receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who was in a defenseless posture. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided. Your actions were flagrant, and as a result, you were disqualified from the game,” the letter added.
His letter
added that “when players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, and particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player, it is appropriate to impose substantially greater penalties.”
The hit
occurred as Mr. Kazee ran downfield to hit Mr. Pittman in the head and neck area as the receiver tried to catch and come down with the football. Mr. Pittman was forced to leave the game with a concussion injury.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told
reporters after the game that Mr. Kazee’s isn’t a “dirty player.”
Mr. Kazee has been
fined five times for unnecessary roughness violations for a total of $59,030 during the 2023-2024 season.
“Usually I talk about lowering the target,” Mr. Tomlin said. “The target was low and both guys were going. It was just unfortunate. I know he is not a dirty player. He doesn’t aspire to do some of the things that came to light under those circumstances.”
He added: “Sometimes it’s just professional football today, and how difficult it is to operate, but the National Football League is really clear, man. They put a hundred percent of the onus on the defender in those circumstances. It’s unfortunate, but we understand it.”
Responding to the hit, Colts coach Shane Steichen told
reporters Sunday that “it probably shouldn’t happen.”
“He led with the crown of his helmet and you never want to see that, you know what I mean?” he asked, according to a Fox affiliate station. “Do those happen in football sometimes? Yeah, but it was ... you don’t want to see it. That’s all I’ll say.’’
But Colts safety Julian Blackmon suggested that Mr. Kazee’s hit appeared to be egregious.
“We’ve gotta get that out of the game,’’ he
told the Indianapolis Star. “I’m not sure what [Mr. Kazee] saw, but things like that, you’ve got to understand that could end somebody’s whole career.’’
Mr. Pittman’s agent, Ron Butler,
told CBS Sports that he’s planning to appeal the decision.
“I want to bring light to the situation of defensive players who are in a position feeling like they have to make plays to keep their job, but also not having any intent to injure,” Mr. Butler said. “This is the most I’ve dealt with fines since I’ve been an agent.”
He added, “I understand they’re trying to clean up the game, but at this point it’s a bit extreme. As for the notion of Kazee receiving a harsher punishment for being a ’repeat violator' you have to remember most of his fines that were assessed this season got rescinded after appeal. So we have to be careful about that classification and narrative.”
Tom Brady Reacts
Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady responded to the NFL’s decision, saying that the quarterback needs to make more accurate passes. The pass to Mr. Pittman was thrown by Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew.“Nobody likes seeing players get hurt,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion
wrote. “But hard hits happen. QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these types of hits. Coaches need to coach better, QBs need to read coverages and throw the ball to the right places and defenders should aim for the right hitting areas. To put the blame on the defense player all the time is just flat out wrong. Need better QB play!! It’s not OK QBs to get your WRs hit because of your bad decisions!”
