Tag: Damontae Kazee

Steelers S Damontae Kazee plans to appeal suspension

Damontae Kazee will appeal the suspension the NFL handed down this afternoon for his hit on Colts WR Michael Pittman. 

Damontae Kazee will appeal the suspension the NFL handed down this afternoon for his hit on Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson reached out Kazee’s agent Ron Butler who had this today about the suspension:

I want to bring light to the situation of defensive players who are in a position feeling like they have to make plays to keep their job, but also not having any intent to injure. This is the most I’ve dealt with fines since I’ve been an agent. I understand they’re trying to clean up the game, but at this point it’s a bit extreme. As for the notion of Kazee receiving a harsher punishment for being a ‘repeat violator’ you have to remember most of his fines that were assessed this season got rescinded after appeal. So we have to be careful about that classification and narrative.

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NFL suspends Damontae Kazee of Steelers for rest of season

Damontae Kazee of the Steelers has been suspended by the NFl

Pittsburgh Steelers DB Damontae Kazee is done for the season after his brutal hit on Indianapolis Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. on Saturday.

The NFL suspended Kazee for the rest of the season on Monday.

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension and cited Kazee’s repeated violations of on-field health and safety rules.

“With 8:49 remaining in the 2nd quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the playing rules,” Runyan wrote in a letter to Kazee regarding the suspension. “The video of the play shows that you delivered a forcible blow to the head/neck area of Colts’ receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who was in a defenseless posture. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided. Your actions were flagrant, and as a result, you were disqualified from the game.”

Added Runyan: “When players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, and particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player, it is appropriate to impose substantially greater penalties.”

Kazee has appeared in all 14 games for the Steelers this season, including nine starts. He has 61 tackles, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.

Steelers S Damontae Kazee suspended for remainder of season

Damontae Kazee will miss the Steelers final three games and any potential playoff games.

Pittsburgh Steelers Damontae Kazee has been suspended for the remainder of the regular season and any potential playoff games per a memo sent out by the NFL. Kazee was ejected for a hit on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on Saturday.

Here is the statement from the NFL:

Damontae Kazee of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been suspended
without pay for the remainder of the regular season and any potential postseason games for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during this Saturday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts

Here is a portion of the letter sent to Kazee from NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan:

“With 8:49 remaining in the 2nd quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the playing rules. The video of the play shows that you delivered a forcible blow to the head/neck area of Colts’ receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who was in a defenseless posture. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided. Your actions were flagrant, and as a result, you were disqualified from the game.”

In his Monday press conference, head coach Mike Tomlin defended Kazee noting he is not a dirty player. Kazee definitely plays in that gray area and his history of plays like this contributed to this decision.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin defends Damontae Kazee’s hit on Colts’ Michael Pittman

Mike Tomlin defended Damontae Kazee for his hit on Colts WR Michael Pittman.

Update: Moments after Mike Tomlin’s press conference, the NFL suspended Damontae Kazee for the remainder of the 2023 season, including playoffs. 

Like most NFL defenders, Damontae Kazee loves to hit. He’s proud of the way he’s done it in the past. He lowered the boom on Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman last week and was immediately disqualified.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said coaching points are to go low.

“Usually, I talk about lowering the target,” he told Steelers reporters when asked about how he addresses hitting. “The target was low and both guys were going. It was just unfortunate. I know he is not a dirty player. He doesn’t aspire to do some of the things that came to light under those circumstances.”

Pittman walked off under his own power and entered concussion protocol.

“Sometimes it’s just professional football today and how difficult it is to operate, but the National Football League is really clear, man,” Tomlin added. “They put a hundred percent of the onus on the defender in those circumstances. It’s unfortunate, but we understand it.”

It’s been debated whether Kazee had any other recourse of action. As a defender, his job is to tackle the pass-catcher. It was a crushing blow, but he did not connect with Pittman with anything other than the shoulder. It was what’s been characterized as a “bang-bang” play and in real-time, the refs made what they thought was the right decision.

Seeing it in slow motion after the fact tells a different story.

Still, Kazee is likely to be fined this week for the hit. Whether a suspension will come from it is undetermined, and Tomlin won’t speculate what the NFL will do.

“I am by no means going to speculate on that, nor does it help me, him or football itself,” Tomlin said.

Given how thin the Steelers are at safety, they’ll need to be prepared for a potential absence. Tomlin did indicate Elijah Riley could return from injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain versus the Cleveland Browns in Week 11.

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Colts lose Michael Pittman Jr. after brutal hit by Damontae Kazee

Damontae Kazee more than earned an ejection for his hit on Michael Pittman Jr.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Damontae Kazee should expect a large fine from the NFL and possible suspension after a ruthless hit on Indianapolis Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. on Saturday.

Pittman was attempting to make a great catch when Kazee leveled the Colts star with a brutal hit.

Pittman stayed down and Kazee was immediately tossed from the game for the ridiculous shot.

Pittman was ruled out of the game with a concussion.

Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr. ruled OUT after nasty hit

Michael Pittman Jr. was ruled out after taking a huge hit from Damontae Kazee.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was ruled out for the remainder of the game Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers after taking a nasty hit.

Pittman Jr. was on his way to another stellar game with four receptions for 78 yards before exiting the game in the second quarter. On a deep crosser, Pittman Jr. laid out for a ball from Gardner Minshew and was on the wrong end of a massive hit from Steelers safety Damontae Kazee.

Pittman Jr. took a big hit and even though he was on the ground for several minutes, he was able to walk off the field under his own power, and it appeared he had his bearings with him—as much as one could after taking a big hit like that.

Kazee was ejected from the game due to the hit, and Pittman was ruled out just before halftime.

With Isaiah McKenzie inactive as a healthy scratch, the wide receiver room will be led by Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and D.J. Montgomery.

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Steelers S Damontae Kazee ejected after big hit

The Steelers are minus both of their starting safeties before halftime.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee was ejected from Saturday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with 8:42 left in the second quarter after a crushing hit on Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

This was the second big hit Kazee put on Pittman in the game. Pittman stayed on the field briefly but was able to walk off under his own power. The Steelers are already thin at safety with Keanu Neal on IR and Minkah Fitzpatrick questionable to return with a knee injury.

Kazee has a reputation for big hits and definitely plays in the gray area when it comes to the rules.

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Zach Tom nearly causes brawl at end of Steelers-Packers game

The Steelers win over the Packers almost ended in an ugly brawl on the sidelines.

You hate to see a game that was so well played end ugly, but that is what happened between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Steelers and Packers traded punches all game long with Pittsburgh coming out on top after a game-ending interception by safety Damontae Kazee.

But rather than having the game just end and the Steelers celebrate moving to 6-3 on the season, Packers offensive lineman Zach Tom opted for a cheap shot on Kazee out of bounds after that interception and nearly started a brawl on the Steelers sideline. If you are going to do something like that, you might want to plan better and do it on your own sideline. The Steelers swarmed Tom, and his teammates quickly pulled him from danger.

This week the Steelers hit the road after three home games in a row and take on the red-hot Cleveland Browns.

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NFL continues to hand out ridiculous fines to Steelers

The league handed down three more fines to Steelers players after the Jaguars game.

Another week and another series of ridiculous fines levied against the Pittsburgh Steelers for doing nothing more than playing football. In two separate weeks, the league basically stole the game checks of running back Jaylen Warren for what they deemed illegal plays although neither drew a flag.

The latest victims of being fleeced by the NFL are safety Damontae Kazee and EDGE T.J. Watt. Kazee drew two fines from last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both were for unnecessary roughness, both for just playing football and both were $11,806 each.

Meanwhile, EDGE T.J. Watt was fined $16.391 for a hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The video is everywhere and I encourage you to watch it and see if you think Watt did anything wrong. Spoilers: He didn’t.

Then finally to add insult to injury. the hit on quarterback Kenny Pickett that injured his ribs only drew a $7,167 fine for Jacksonville defensive end Adam Gotsis. They deemed the hit Watt had was worthy of a fine more than double but the film tells another story.

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Adam Gotsis fined $7,167 for unpenalized hit on Steelers’ Kenny Pickett

The unpenalized hit from Adam Gotsis that injured Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett earned the Jaguars lineman a fine.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Adam Gotsis received a $7,167 fine for his unpenalized hit on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in Week 8.

The hit from Gotsis resulted in a ribs injury for Pickett that caused the Pittsburgh quarterback to miss the rest of the game.

After the game, Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson blamed officials for his team’s 20-10 loss to the Jaguars, telling reporters that “every little call” went Jacksonville’s way.

Steelers safety Damontae Kazee received two fines of $11,806 each for unnecessary roughness on a pair of plays that happened on the same second quarter drive for Jacksonville. Both plays were unpenalized.

The only roughing the passer penalty of the game was called on the Steelers’ Keanu Neal, but that play didn’t result in a fine.

Pittsburgh pass rusher T.J. Watt earned the biggest fine of the game, $16,391, for a hit to the face of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence that was also unpenalized.

The relatively small fine for Gotsis is only the second time this season that a Jaguars player has been docked pay for a game-related rules violation. The only other time was a $5,611 fine for defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter for a hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Week 5.

Through eight weeks, the Jaguars are the third least penalized team in the NFL behind only the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles.

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