Steelers Place Safety Damontae Kazee on Injured Reserve

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed safety Damontae Kazee on the injured reserve list, the team announced on Thursday afternoon.

Kazee suffered the injury while making a tackle during the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He left the game holding his left arm, and head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that the injury was “serious.”

Kazee has worked as the Steelers’ third safety all preseason, and played well enough that the Steelers implemented a three-safety big Nickel package to highlight his availability.

Kazee was a starter for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 after signing there as a free agent. He recorded 52 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defended and a lot of forced fumbles.

A fifth-round pick for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, Kazee played sparingly as a rookie, but quickly moved into a starting role for Atlanta in his second season in 2018. That year, he set career highs in tackles with 82, passes defended with 10 and seven interceptions, which also led the NFL.

Without Kazee, the Steelers may shelve their plans to run a bigger Nickel, with regular slot corners Arthur Maulet and Tre Norwood the most likely candidates to absorb that playing time. Those two will also be the primary backups at free safety, should something happen to Minkah Fitzpatrick while Kazee is out. Special teamer Miles Killebrew is the only other safety on the initial 53-man roster.

Kazee must remain on the injured reserve list for at least four weeks, according to the new-for-2022 NFL rules. Each NFL team can activate a maximum of eight players from the injured reserve list of the course of a season.

The Steelers can add released players back to fill their 53-man roster as the team moves players to the injured reserve list.