Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee, who was in a walking boot and did not practice Sunday, is now out of the boot according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.
The boot was likely a precautionary measure and just to give Kazee’s foot some extra support. He said the injury was a week-to-week thing and he would be ready for Week One, so while he still may not practice and could take it slow, it’s a good sign that the injury is healing.
Kazee is projected to slot in as Pittsburgh’s starting strong safety opposite Minkah Fitzpatrick, and the former NFL interception leader brings ball skills to the position that Pittsburgh didn’t have with Terrell Edmunds. While Edmunds was a leader and a very smart player who could attack downhill, he never had the best hands, so Kazee will add a different element to that spot.
He had two interceptions last season in nine games for the Steelers with two starts. He finished the year with 20 total tackles and two passes defended after missing the first half of the season due to an injury suffered in the team’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions.
With Keanu Neal also in the fold, the Steelers’ safety room should be ready to rock and roll. Fitzpatrick is one of the best at his position, a true do-it-all safety, while Kazee can provide ball skills and coverage ability and Neal brings some thump as a hard-hitting, downhill safety.
Neal is seeing extra reps with Kazee out and Fitzpatrick excused from practice, and that should serve him well in the ramp-up to the regular season. But Kazee and Fitzpatrick are a ball-hawking duo and with the two of them serving as Pittsburgh’s starting safeties, it’s not a bad bet to assume the Steelers could lead the league in interceptions again.
Hopefully, Kazee’s injury continues to heal without the boot and he’s back on the field and fully healthy soon.
