Report: Damontae Kazee, Steelers Have ‘Mutual Interest’ in New Deal

The Steelers and Damontae Kazee have a mutual interest in reaching a new deal with one another, according to a report by Matt Lombardo of Heavy on Sports.

Kazee, 29, signed a one-year deal with the Steelers have the 2022 NFL Draft and played in 9 games after injuring his forearm in the preseason. Over those 9 games, he racked up two interceptions and 20 tackles as the third safety along with Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“I hope I come back,” Kazee said after the season. “You know, this is a business. I can’t hold my head down, no surfboard shoulders. You balance the good and bad. I can hit the road, and go to another team. But I would like to be here if I can.”

According to Lombardo, Kazee should have a strong market to work with, so the Steelers seemingly are hoping to get it done before he hits the open market. Still, Damontae Kazee and Edmunds are both free agents, meaning the Steelers have to work out the strong safety position this offseason. Both could come back, one could come back, or neither could be back, but it seems this is a positon that is likely to be fixed before the 2023 NFL Draft.

In any manner, Kazee would make plenty of sense to bring back. He is versatile and brings a fire that everyone on the team can appreciate. As for Kazee, he understands the business side of the NFL. He has been around cities his entire career and has no problem doing it again, but he likes the fit in Pittsburgh. If he can have it his way, Kazee would be back with the Steelers. The only question will be if they have the space to keep him. That question should be answered in the coming weeks as the legal tampering period starts in over a week on March 13th.