Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: S Damontae Kazee
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: The veteran safety received additional playing time in yesterday’s game due to the early exit of Minkah Fitzpatrick due to injury. Unfortunately, the primary effect that had was to demonstrate how clear the talent gap is between the two.
Damontae Kazee takes risks. So does Minkah Fitzpatrick. But there are some key differences. One, Fitzpatrick’s risks are more calculated and the product of a deep understanding of the opponent through extensive film study. And two, he has the talent level to earn the reward for which the risk was taken in the first place.
That’s not to denigrate Kazee, who certainly has talent, but there is a reason that the league seems to view him as a borderline player at this point in his career—not quite an every-down starter, but not somebody who is just going to sit on the bench, either.
The middle ground is the role that he occupied for the Steelers until Fitzpatrick went down Sunday with a hamstring injury. Kazee was thrust more fully into the limelight, and while he had his moments, it also exposed some of the things that keep him from having a steadier role in defenses.
Most at fault was his tendency to be overly aggressive in coverage, trying to read plays and reacting to them in ways that exposed the defense to great risk if he failed to make the play. Well, he got one interception, but he also was largely responsible for allowing a long touchdown, as well.
It seems rather unlikely that Fitzpatrick is going to be able to play for the Steelers on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, which means more Kazee. In other words, he won’t even get a full week to prepare as a starter.
But we may get a more extended look at him in that role if Fitzpatrick’s injury proves to be a lingering one. The Steelers have already had two starters go down with hamstring injuries this season that landed them on the Reserve/Injured List. It would be an immense shame if he makes it three.
Kazee did have a third-down stop against TE Evan Engram in the second quarter that was negated by a defensive holding call against James Pierre. The Jaguars ultimately got a field goal out of that in a situation in which they otherwise would have punted.
