Especially at this time of year, participation is not so much up to the players as it is the coaches, especially when it comes to health. As veteran DB Damontae Kazee told reporters yesterday, if it were up to him, he would have been back practicing last week after suffering an ankle injury early in camp, but it was the coaches who told him to hold off.
It’s the same story regarding Saturday’s second preseason game at home against the Buffalo Bills. Asked if he anticipates playing in that game after returning to practice this week, he said, “Hopefully”, via Amanda Godsey. “I’m gonna ask. Like I said, it’s not up to me”.
Kazee and Keanu Neal are vying for playing time this year after the Steelers lost starting SS Terrell Edmunds this offseason. Kazee was already on the roster a year ago, missing the first half of the season due to a broken arm, but Neal was added as an unrestricted free agent. Both have ample starting experience.
Both have also been teammates for most of their NFL careers, first in Atlanta, then in Dallas, and now in Pittsburgh. And both have missed a good amount of training camp due to injuries, which allowed for the emergence of Kenny Robinson, seeing most of the snaps with the first-team defense.
But Kazee and Neal will be the top two safeties alongside the All-Pro, Fitzpatrick, on the back end of the Steelers’ secondary. That’s what they were paid for, and that’s what their respective NFL resumes command. The former played well in a limited role in the second half of last season after returning from injury.
Even though he said before the preseason opener that he anticipated everyone who was healthy would play, head coach Mike Tomlin did hold out several key starters such as Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt. He also held out almost everybody dealing with any kind of ailment, minor or otherwise, with the exception of fourth-round OLB Nick Herbig. Rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. was held out.
Kazee does have some experience lining up next to Fitzpatrick from the end of last year, but it’s important for this secondary to get together and get that on-field rhythm going. This could be almost an entirely new defensive backfield from last season with Edmunds, Cameron Sutton, and Arthur Maulet gone.
In addition to the drafting of Porter in the second round, the Steelers also signed veteran CB Patrick Peterson in free agency to fill Sutton’s role. Chandon Sullivan among others are competing for slot time, though Fitzpatrick, Kazee, and Neal are also all in that mix.
Will Tomlin and company allow Kazee (and other players with recent ailments) to take the field at the end of this week? With only two preseason games left, time is running out for them to get in valuable on-field work together in the dress rehearsal phase.
