Steelers’ Damontae Kazee Suspended After Hit on Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr.

This wasn’t the Pittsburgh Steelers safety’s first offense of the year.

The NFL announced Monday that Steelers safety Damontae Kazee will be suspended for the rest of the season for his illegal hit on Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on Saturday. 

In the second quarter of the matchup, Pittman dove for a deep ball and was completely defenseless when Kazee threw his shoulder into the wideout’s head. It was a scary scene afterward, but Pittman was able to walk off field before getting ruled out of the game due to a concussion. Kazee was disqualified for the hit, and it wasn’t his first such ejection. He’s been fined five times this season for unnecessary roughness.

NFL suspended Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for remainder of season/postseason for ‘repeated violations.’ pic.twitter.com/lKVu5ayAHy

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) December 18, 2023

Kazee was suspended without pay for “repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect health and safety of players,” the NFL’s statement read. The Steelers defensive back will be ineligible for the upcoming postseason if Pittsburgh earns a playoff berth.

“When players violate the rules intended to protect player safety in 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,” NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote in a letter to Kazee. 

The 30-year-old defensive back has started in nine of his 14 appearances this year and has tallied 61 tackles in those games. Kazee also has recorded two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in his seventh NFL season out of San Diego State.