Steelers' Damontae Kazee Receives Surprise Support From NFL Great Tom Brady

The Pittsburgh Steelers once again lost a very winnable game to a team they should have beaten. This time, it was the Indianapolis Colts, but it very much felt like a repeat of the two losses against the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots in weeks prior. Now the Steelers have dropped to 7-7 and are in last place in the AFC North. The team has been plagued by tons of penalties, some that are legitimate, and some very questionable ones. Now, hot on the heels of the loss to the Colts, the team got more bad news. Starting safety Damontae Kazee is suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs should the team make the postseason. Shockingly enough, it has one former rival speaking up on the Steelers' behalf. 

The suspension stems from a hit Kazee made during the second quarter of the Colts game. Kazee tackled wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. In the NFL's letter to Kazee, which was issued by NFL Vice President of Football Operations, Jon Runyan, they called the hit "vicious."  

"The video of the play shows that you delivered a forcible blow to the head/neck area of Colts' wide 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," wrote Runyan.

The confusion surrounding tackling players in the NFL is only increasing. Defensive players are routinely speaking up about how what they are being asked to do is impossible. The controversy surrounding calls during the 2023 season extends to all teams with numerous players speaking out about their frustrations. 

Shockingly enough, former Steelers arch-nemesis Tom Brady, who was the quarterback of the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, chimed in, in Kazee's favor. Brady, who won seven Super Bowl titles, is frequently cited as the reason the NFL changed the rules on how players could be tackled. The "Brady Rule" prohibits defenders from lunging at or rolling into a quarterback's legs. Brady says the responsibility is not entirely on the defender. 

"Nobody likes seeing players get hurt. But hard hits happen. QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these types of hits. Coaches need to coach better, QBs need to throw the ball to the right places and defenders should aim for the right hitting areas. To put the blame on the defense player all the time is just flat-out wrong. Need better QB play!! It's not OK OBs to get your WRs hit because of your bad decisions!" Brady said this on an Instagram comment.

This is a shocking admission from a quarterback that most feel got preferential treatment from the referees. There were complaints that he was treated differently than then-Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

One of the most frustrating parts for players and even fans is that there is little to no direction being given and no corrective actions taken when the referees screw up. The league is busy handing out penalties, but does little to instill faith that they take the mistakes on the part of the officials seriously. 

Steelers' Damontae Kazee Is In An Impossible Position

The numerous fines the NFL has handed out this season have current and former players speaking out, including Rob Gronkowski and Micah Parsons. They feel that they are being put in an impossible situation. The suspension of Kazee for the remainder of the season is because he was branded a repeat offender. 

He has been fined five times during the 2023 season, including a fine for hitting Irv Smith Jr., the tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was also fined twice during their Week 8 game, both for unnecessary roughness, as well as Week 7 and Week 2. 

Kazee's agent, Ron Butler, said that he is working to shed light on what is happening to defenders. Butler said that these men are in the same position as every other professional player. They have to make plays to keep their jobs and they never intend to hurt anyone. 

"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."

Kazee has been fined $11,806 for each of his five unnecessary roughness penalties this season. He does have the right to appeal his suspension and his fine, per the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, which will cost him more than $203,000. 

What do you think of Kazee's ejection from the game against the Colts and Brady's remarks? Click to comment below.

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