Pittsburgh Steelers AFC champions sign – Steelers Collage – unsplash
The National Football League (NFL) suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for the rest of the season on Sunday.
This suspension came in response to a hit on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman, Jr. during Saturday’s game.
“You were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of playing rules,” said John Runyan, the NFL vice president of football operations.
In line with NFL regulations, players repeatedly violating safety rules and posing a significant injury risk will face penalties.
Kazee was found to have forcefully targeted Pittman’s head and neck area while the wide receiver was in a defenseless position. Pittman attempted to catch and land with the football. The incident resulted in Pittman having to leave the game due to a concussion injury.
It was not Kazee’s first offense against an opposing player. The 30-year-old safety had committed multiple violations, resulting in five fines totaling $59,030 this season. Kazee and his agent are appealing the suspension.
“It was unfortunate. I know he is not a dirty player,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Kazee’s suspension.
“The target was low, and both guys were going,”
Mike Tomlin
Meanwhile, Colts coach Shane Steichen expressed his regret over the situation. Similarly, Colts safety Julian Blackmon remarked that Kazee’s hit appeared to be terrible.
The NFL decision has drawn the attention of former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star quarterback Tom Brady. He criticized the notion of solely blaming the defensive player, deeming it “flat out wrong.”
During the game, Colts quarterback Garder Minshew passed the ball to Pittman before the hit happened. According to Brady, quarterbacks should avoid throwing the ball to areas where their teammates could be vulnerable to such hits.
“QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these types of hits,” Brady said. “Coaches need to coach better, QBs need to read coverages and throw the ball to the right places and defenders should aim for the right hitting areas.”
Brady did not completely exempt Kazee from blame. However, he shifted the discussion to some of Minshew’s mistakes. He emphasized that quarterbacks shouldn’t subject their wide receivers to hits through poor decision-making.
