Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee was designated to return from IR, and his 21-day practice window was opened today, although he still remains on injured reserve, per Steelers.com. He must return to practice and be activated off IR within 21 days, or he has to stay on the list for the remainder of the season. Kazee was injured in the Steelers’ final preseason game against the Detroit Lions and later served a three-game suspension while on IR for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Kazee, who signed with the Steelers this offseason following stints with the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, was expected to play a key role as Pittsburgh’s third safety behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. A wrist injury landed him on IR though, and Pittsburgh’s depth has been tested with both Fitzpatrick and Edmunds missing time with injuries.
Obviously, Kazee won’t be ready to play this week and there’s also a chance he misses the team’s Week 8 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, although he said he plans to practice next week. At the latest, he’ll be activated off IR in time for their Week 10 tilt with the New Orleans Saints coming off their bye week. By then, Pittsburgh’s secondary should hopefully be fully healthy, and we’ll be able to see their defense function at 100%, assuming T.J. Watt is also back by then.
