Pittsburgh Steelers S Damontae Kazee was fined $11,806 for unnecessary roughness against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh’s Week 12 win. The play occurred with 2:32 left in the first quarter and was not flagged.
Kazee clearly lowers his helmet here and hits TE Irv Smith Jr. It’s the type of play the NFL has been looking to avoid all season, and there have been a number of fines for using the helmet in the way Kazee did here, and he got hit with a fine for it. He was one of just nine players fined across the league in Week 12. He was also the only play fined between the Steelers and the Bengals.
In a bit of a surprise, OLB T.J. Watt was not fined for roughing the passer on this late hit on QB Jake Browning, which was flagged in the game.
The Kazee hit ended Cincinnati’s drive with a punt. While it wasn’t flagged on the field, it will cost him in his wallet.
Another week of fines is nothing new for Pittsburgh, as they have only avoided being fined in their Week Four loss to the Houston Texans and their Week Nine win over the Tennessee Titans. With the NFL cracking down this season, particularly on use of the helmet, the Steelers have continually found themselves on the NFL fine sheet.
Kazee finished the game with five tackles and a pass defensed.
Watt avoided a fine and finished the game against Cincinnati with five tackles and two sacks. I’d say that’s a pretty good week for the star outside linebacker. On the season, he now has 41 total tackles and 13.5 sacks, tied for the league lead with Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter. He’s been one of the best players in football all season, and the Steelers are going to need him to keep getting after the quarterback the rest of the season.
It’s the fifth fine of the season for Kazee, who was also fined in Pittsburgh’s Week Seven win over the Los Angeles Rams and in Pittsburgh’s Week Two win over the Cleveland Browns. He was also fined twice in Week Eight against the Jacksonville Jaguars. All five of his fines have been for $11,806, meaning his total in fines this season is $59,030.
All NFL fines are set by the CBA and increased by predetermined percentages each year. Fine money goes to charities of the league’s choosing
The Steelers will take on the Arizona Cardinals at 1:00 p.m. EST tomorrow at Acrisure Stadium.
