Damontae Kazee, the safety of the Pittsburgh Steelers, faced a severe sanction last Saturday (16) when he was expelled from the field during the defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in the last round of the NFL in 2023. The athlete was suspended until the end of the competition due to a play considered overly aggressive against wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
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Tom Brady promptly came to Kazee’s defense, arguing on his social media that quarterbacks must take responsibility when exposing wide receivers to unfavorable situations.
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“While no one likes to see players get hurt, power plays do happen. Quarterbacks should not put wide receivers in areas that expose them to these types of incidents,” Brady expressed. He emphasized the need for better teaching by coaches, coverage analysis by quarterbacks and a more conscious defensive approach to areas that can be targeted. Brady challenged the tendency to automatically blame the defensive player, saying it is unfair.
In the former player’s view, the punishment applied to Kazee was unfair as it attributed sole responsibility to the defender. He highlighted the need for better decisions by quarterbacks to prevent their wide receivers from being harmed. The league suspended Kazee for the remainder of the season due to excessive force in the aforementioned play, in which the safety hit Michael Pittman Jr., resulting in a concussion and the wide receiver’s departure from the game. Kazee’s agent, Ron Butler, said he intends to appeal the decision.