Steelers’ Damontae Kazee ejected for hard hit during loss to Colts
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INDIANAPOLIS – Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee was ejected for a hard hit on Michael Pittman during the second quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Kazee was assessed a 15-yard personal foul penalty on a second-and-8 passing play originating at the Indianapolis 31 yard-line. Pittman was full-out diving for a pass about 25 yards downfield from Indianapolis quarterback Gardner Minshew when Kazee struck him while he was airborne.
Whoa Kazee actually hit and led with his shoulder not his helmet! And Pittman walked off under his own power! #Colts #Steelers pic.twitter.com/bJIOb4expb
— Connie Carberg (@ConnieScouts) December 16, 2023
Three officials threw a flag on the play, and after a discussion among the officiating crew the announcement was made to “disqualify” Kazee.
Though they did not announce a specific reason his ejection, it is likely his hit was deemed to be on a defenseless receiver.
Kazee was not available for comment after the game, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin simply referenced that decisions on ejections are made by the NFL office in New York.
“It was right in front of me, (and) I thought it was a clean play,” Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “Playing the football, both guys going after what we are playing for. It was a bang-bang play. Sad to see (Pittman) go down in that manner.”
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Pittman stayed on the turf for several minutes while players from both teams gathered, many on a knee. But he walked off the field on his own power. It was announced soon thereafter that Pittman was being evaluated for a concussion, and just before halftime he was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Kazee has been fined five times this season for unnecessary roughness, including four over the prior seven games before Saturday. Each fine was for $11, 806.
Any supplemental discipline for actions during Saturday’s game would be handed out next week and would not be made public until Dec. 23.
The Steelers’ other starting safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, left the game the play after Kazee’s ejection when he suffered a knee injury. Coupled with that, veteran Keanu Neal is on injured reserve, the Steelers had only special-teams captain Killebrew and recent practice-squad call-up Trenton Thompson as safeties available to play the rest of Saturday’s game. Peterson, a cornerback by trade, played at free safety for the majority of the snaps after Kazee and Fitzpatrick left the game.
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