Steelers Damontae Kazee suspended for rest of season after hit on Colts Michael Pittman Jr.

June 27, 2024

The NFL suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for the rest of the regular season and playoffs Monday, but after appealing, he will be allowed to return for the postseason if the club qualifies.

The suspension came after Kazee was ejected Saturday for a hit that ruled Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. out with a concussion. Hearing officer James Thrash — appointed by the NFL and NFLPA — upheld the regular-season suspension after Kazee appealed, but deemed him eligible for the playoffs, the league announced Wednesday.

In a letter to Kazee, NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote:

“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.”

Runyan also mentioned Kazee has had multiple prior violations of rules designed to protect the health and safety of players. Kazee will miss games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens.

Kazee had been fined for a total of $59,030 already this season. This suspension costs him another $208,333, as he has now forfeited more than 21 percent of his salary to fines/suspensions.

His suspension is another blow to Pittsburgh’s secondary which is already without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who’s been ruled out of the Steelers’ Week 16 matchup against the Bengals with a knee injury.

How the suspension affects Pittsburgh

The loss of Kazee wouldn’t have been a huge blow if Fitzpatrick hadn’t injured his knee on the very next play. Now the Steelers will have to be without both their starting safeties Saturday against the Bengals and very well could be without them for the rest of the season. Patrick Peterson will likely move to safety along with Trenton Thompson.

Eric Rowe could be called up off the practice squad as well. Either way, Pittsburgh’s defense up the middle (linebackers Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander are also out for the year) is suspect. — Mark Kaboly, senior Steelers writer

Was the suspension warranted?

Kazee’s hit on Pittman surely is debatable. A poor throw by Gardner Minshew put both Pittman and Kazee in bad positions. Kazee appeared to try to get under the head and neck area of the diving Pittman but was unable to.

It seemed like the ejection at the time would trump any further discipline but with Kazee being a multiple-time offender this year, the league suspended him and put the Steelers in a bad way in the process. The suspension is believed to be the longest on-field suspension for a Steeler in team history. — Kaboly

Required reading

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

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