Huge news from the NFL. The league is suspending Pittsburgh Steelers S Damontae Kazee for the rest of the 2023 season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Kazee was ejected from the first half of Saturday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts for a hard hit on WR Michael Pittman Jr., knocking him out for the rest of the game. Pittman dove for the football as Kazee met him to try and break up the play. Though Kazee avoided contacting him with his helmet, he landed a shoulder into Pittman’s head, leading to a nasty collision that injured Pittman.
Per Tom Pelissero, the decision comes because of “repeated violations of playing rules.” Kazee has been fined multiple times this year for hits to the head. The suspension will also apply to any potential playoff games should the Steelers advance.
Kazee will have the right to appeal the suspension. Assuming Kazee appeals, it could be heard by Derrick Brooks, the appeals hearing officer hired jointly by the NFL and the union. Brooks oversaw both of Denver Broncos DB Kareem Jackson’s suspensions. He reduced the first from four to two games but denied the second, a four-game suspension.
UPDATE (1:44 PM): Kazee’s agent Ron Butler confirms they will appeal the NFL’s ruling.
The NFL, via VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan, released a letter detailing its rationale for the suspension.
“When players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis…it is appropriate to impost substantially greater penalties,” the letter read in part.
The league offered a fuller statement that can be read below.
Kazee had been fined five times already this year, all for unnecessary roughness, though not all five of those fines resulted in penalties. Some were related to the league’s crackdown on players lowering their helmet on contact.
Responding to Dave Bryan’s tweet, a relative of Kazee indicates four of the five were overturned on appeal. His camp will use that as evidence Kazee shouldn’t be suspended for repeated illegal actions considering his appeals have largely been rescinded.
Earlier today, Mike Tomlin defended Kazee, saying he was not a dirty player.
“The target was low, and both guys were going,” Tomlin said during his Monday press conference. “It was just unfortunate. He is not a dirty player. He does not aspire to do some of the things that came to light under those circumstances. Sometimes it’s just professional football today and how difficult it is to operate.”
As a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Kazee was ejected from a 2018 game for this hit on Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton. But he was not suspended and played the following week and rest of the season.
Developing story.
