The NFL is always looking for ways to make the game safer for the players. It will never be perfect in a violent contact sport like football, but they have made some strides over the years. Many of the changes, like some of the protections for quarterbacks or the recent hip-drop tackle ban, aren’t exactly popular, but they all aim for a safer league in mind.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on X, the NFL sent a memo to more than 20 players and their associated teams warning of suspensions for safety violations. It would appear that players deemed repeat offenders will not get the benefit of the doubt, and further infractions could lead to suspension on top of the usual fines.
In his piece, Schefter said the NFL declined to provide a list of those players, but he did say that all players receiving the memo had been suspended over the last two seasons.
That would presumably include Pittsburgh Steelers S Damontae Kazee for his hit on Indianapolis Colts WR Michael Pittman last season. He was ejected for that hit and later given a suspension for the rest of the 2023 season, including any possible playoff games. He later won his appeal and was allowed to return for the playoffs.
A video of the scary hit is included in the below clip.
His suspension came as the result of repeat violations of player safety rules, so there is a good chance Kazee and the Steelers received this recent memo.
Kazee’s suspension was a hotly debated topic last year, raising questions about what a defender is supposed to do in that situation. Pittman was diving, so there was no way to hit him other than in the head and neck area as a defenseless receiver. It was a would-be deep completion, so it definitely put Kazee between a rock and a hard place in a split-second decision.
Speaking with TribLive’s Joe Rutter back in May, Kazee admitted he was a little hesitant as a defender once he returned to play following the suspension.
“I’m wondering, how do I approach people now?” Kazee said, “…He [Josh Allen] ran that fake slide on me, and it froze me up. Do I take my shot? I don’t know.”
Players are taught to trust their instincts and play without hesitancy, but suspensions and paychecks are now on the line. Kazee and any other repeat offenders are now just one hit away from lengthy suspensions and a big hit to their pocketbooks.
