The Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety has been suspended for the rest of the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety has been suspended for the rest of the season.

elers security Damontae Kazee is suspended for the rest of the season.
Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
CNN — Pittsburgh Steelers defender The NFL said Monday that Damontae Kazee has been suspended without pay for the remainder of the regular season – and any potential postseason games – for repeated infractions of regulations designed to safeguard players’ health and safety.

Kazee launched himself at the head of Michael Pittman Jr., who was diving to make a grab, in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s Week 15 road defeat to the Indianapolis Colts.

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After the play, Kazee was booted from Saturday’s game.

Kazee was suspended by the NFL for violating a rule that states it is a foul if a player “forcibly hits the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him.”

In a letter to Kazee, Runyan said: “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 will miss the Steelers’ final three regular-season games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens.

Kazee has the right to appeal the suspension under the terms of the present collective bargaining agreement.

Indianapolis Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) catches a pass before being struck by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee (23) during the first half of an NFL football game in Indianapolis. Pittman was wounded during the action, and Kazee was expelled. Michael Conroy/AP Photo
Michael Pittman Jr. (11) of the Indianapolis Colts catches a pass before being struck by Kazee (23).
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
In response to Kazee’s ban, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady stated that the Steelers safety wasn’t wholly to responsible for the incident, meaning that Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was partly to blame.

“No one enjoys seeing players get wounded. But hard hits happen,” he replied on Instagram. “QBs should not throw the ball in areas that expose their teammates to these types of hits.”

“Coaches must coach more effectively, quarterbacks must read coverages and throw the ball to the correct locations, and defenders must target the correct hitting zones.” Placing all of the blame on the defense player is simply incorrect.

“We need better quarterback play!!” It’s not acceptable for quarterbacks to have their wide receivers hit as a result of poor judgments!”

The Steelers went on to lose the game, 30-13, to the Colts, who shut out Pittsburgh after falling behind 0-13 thanks to a strong defensive effort that intercepted Mitch Trubisky twice and limited the visitors to 216 total yards of offense, and Gardner Minshew’s strong and steady play at quarterback – throwing for 215 yards and three touchdowns.