Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Activated to 53-man roster
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The Steelers restored Kazee (arm) to the active roster Thursday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.
Kazee is set to play for the first time this season heading into Sunday's game against the Saints. The 29-year-old fractured his forearm during the preseason and opened the 2022 campaign on injured reserve. Kazee recorded 52 tackles, four passes defended, two interceptions and two forced fumbles over 17 regular-season games with Dallas last year, so he could play a prominent reserve role behind starting safeties Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick for the final nine weeks of the season.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Suspension lifted
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Kazee (arm) finished serving a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on substance abuse Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Kazee served all three games of his suspension while on the Steelers' injured reserve with a wrist injury suffered in late August, which was expected to keep him sidelined until at least Week 6. The 29-year-old safety recorded 52 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions while playing 850 defensive snaps over 17 games with Dallas last season. With starting strong safety Terrell Edmunds still in concussion protocol after sitting out Week 5, Kazee could quickly step into a prominent role in the Steelers' secondary when healthy again.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Out at least six weeks
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Kazee (arm) is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks while recovering from left arm surgery, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.
The Steelers officially placed Kazee on injured reserve Thursday, but he appears primed to miss more than the requisite four games. That the 2017 fifth-rounder will be able to return this season is good news for the Steelers, but to begin the year, a replacement will need to be found alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick. Terrell Edmunds seems the likeliest candidate for the time being.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Heading to IR
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Kazee (arm) requires surgery and will be placed on injured reserve by the Steelers, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Kazee went down late in Sunday's preseason finale against the Lions, and his injury will force him to miss significant time. The 2017 fifth-rounder's return timetable is dependent on when the Steelers officially place him on IR, as he'll be eligible to return as early as Week 5 against the Buccaneers on Oct. 16 if the team waits until Tuesday to put him on IR. Linden Stephens is a candidate to serve as the No. 2 strong safety behind Terrell Edmunds.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Ruled out for game
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Kazee has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's preseason game against the Lions due to an arm injury, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Kazee went down early in the third quarter of Sunday's matchup and appeared to be favoring his left wrist as he headed to the locker room. He returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter with his left arm in a sling, Josh Rowntree of 93.7 The Fan reports. It's unclear whether Kazee will be available for Pittsburgh's Week 1 matchup against Cincinnati on Sept. 11.
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Steelers' Damontae Kazee: Signs with Steelers
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Kazee signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on Saturday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Kazee spent last season with the Cowboys after spending the previous four years with the Falcons. The 28-year-old played in 17 games in 2021, recording 52 tackles (35 solo), four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. Kazee likely will provide depth at safety behind starters Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds.
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Cowboys' Damontae Kazee: Facing DWI charges
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Kazee was arrested Tuesday in The Colony, Texas and was charged with driving under the influence, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Kazee was pulled over for a traffic stop and failed a field sobriety test, which resulted in his arrest. The 28-year-old will likley face some discipline from the NFL for the incident, though it's unclear if/when that decision will come down from the league office. Kazee has 17 tackles (13 solo), an interception and a forced fumble through six games this season as the Cowboys head into their bye week.
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Cowboys' Damontae Kazee: Questionable for Week 2
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The Cowboys listed Kazee (thigh) as questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Chargers, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.
Kazee was a limited participant in practice Thursday and Friday and will likely be a game-time decision Sunday. The 28-year-old safety played 52 defensive snaps and registered two tackles in the season opener.
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Cowboys' Damontae Kazee: Tests positive for COVID-19
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Kazee was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after he tested positive for the virus, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Cowboys have been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak recently, and Kazee will be away from the team due to the league's health and safety protocols. Both Kazee and Malik Hooker are now on the COVID-19 list, and it's not yet clear whether they'll be ready to return by Week 1. If the two safeties are unable to play to begin the regular season, Darian Thompson and Tyler Coyle are candidates to see increased playing time.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Torn Achilles confirmed
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Kazee suffered a torn Achilles during Monday's loss to the Packers and has been ruled out for the year, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
Kazee hasn't missed a game since entering the league in 2017, and he's been a key member of the Falcons' secondary this season, recording 20 tackles (17 solo) and a forced fumble through four games. Ricardo Allen (elbow) likely will take over at free safety if he's healthy. Kazee is expected to spend the rest of the season on IR, and he'll become a free agent in March.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Limited practice status
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Kazee (hamstring) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.
Kazee missed Wednesday's practice session with a hip problem, but it was a hamstring injury that limited him Thursday. The fact that he was upgraded is still a positive sign for his chances to play Sunday against Chicago. If he's forced to miss Week 3, Ricardo Allen (elbow) or Sharrod Neasman would be in line for the start at free safety.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Leads team in tackles
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Kazee recorded eight tackles (seven solo) across 77 defensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.
With Ricardo Allen (elbow) sidelined for the contest, Kazee was relied on even more than normal, playing in 94 percent of the team's defensive snaps. His eight tackles led the team, a performance he'll look to duplicate next Sunday against the Bears.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Heading into contract season
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Kazee says he is "not worried" about his next contract, Kelsey Conway of the Falcons' official site reports.
The 27-year-old has exceeded expectations for Atlanta, starting 29 contests over the past two seasons and missing zero games since entering the NFL as a fifth-round pick in 2017. Kazee demonstrated play-making ability during 2018 when he tied Kyle Fuller and Xavien Howard with a league-best seven interceptions, but during 2019 he became more reliable in coverage. Kazee allowed a passer rating of just 66.3 when targeted last season (compared to an 82.1 rating during his breakout 2018 campaign) and he also improved his missed tackle rate from 13.7 percent to 12.9 percent. With a third consecutive strong season, Kazee would surely command a new contract from the Falcons or another team in search of a hard-hitting, turnover-creating safety.
Kazee was awarded a $202,885 performance-based distribution Thursday, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.
The 26-year-old defensive back has substantially outperformed his rookie deal, and he will be well positioned for a lucrative new contract at the end of 2020 if he maintains the level of play he's established the past two seasons. Kazee has accumulated 10 interceptions, 13 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and 156 tackles since the start of the 2018 campaign, and during this upcoming season will see his base salary escalate from $645,000 to $2,147,000 before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2021.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Collects three INTS during 2019
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Kazee collected 69 total tackles, three pass deflections, three interceptions and a forced fumble across 16 appearances for the Falcons in 2019.
Coach Dan Quinn intended to deploy Kazee as the team's primary nickelback this year, but an early-season injury to Keanu Neal (Achilles) forced him to shift Kazee back to his 2018 position of safety. Kazee was an X-factor in 2018 while collecting 10 pass deflections and an NFL-high seven interceptions, but this season, he endured drastic declines in each category while the Falcons improved from 28th to 22nd in pass defense. The 26-year-old remains under contract with Atlanta for one more season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2021.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Three forced turnovers spark win
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Kazee compiled three tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble during Sunday's 40-20 win against the Panthers.
The 26-year-old defensive back played an undeniably pivotal role during Atlanta's Week 14 victory, as Kazee's three forced turnovers led directly to two separate Falcons scores. With another noteworthy outing Sunday he now has a hand in four takeaways over the Falcons' past four games, heading into a Week 15 matchup against a San Francisco offense that ranks tied for 18th in the league with 19 giveaways thus far in 2019.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Nose for football against Rams
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Kazee racked up eight total tackles, including two tackles for loss during Sunday's 37-10 loss to the Rams.
The 26-year-old defensive back has garnered praise from coach Dan Quinn regarding his play as Atlanta's primary nickelback this season, and Sunday he stepped up with a goal-line tackle on Cooper Kupp that helped force Los Angeles into settling for a second-quarter field goal. Kazee was also capable of keeping star slot receiver Kupp relatively in check, containing him to six catches for 50 yards on the afternoon. In Week 8 he will be tasked with helping slow down a Russell Wilson-led Seahawks passing attack that has yielded more than 260 passing yards in four of its past six games.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Active in Week 5
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Kazee (illness) is active in Sunday's Week 5 tilt against the Texans.
Kazee managed to work back from the illness that robbed him of the last two days of practice during the week. The third-year safety will assume his usual role in nickel packages for the Falcons against Deshaun Watson and the Texans' passing attack.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: Questionable to return
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Kazee is considered questionable to return to Thursday's game against the Jets due to a rib injury, William McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.
The injury occurred during the first quarter of the contest. The severity is unknown at this time, but expect an update once the Falcons provide more clarity on the situation. Kazee is looking to earn a role as the team's nickel slot this year.
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Falcons' Damontae Kazee: May slide into nickel slot
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Kazee is the most likely candidate to replace Brian Poole at nickelback in 2019 now that the Falcons declined to pick up Poole's restricted free-agent tender Friday, Kelsey Conway of the team's official site reports.
Head coach Dan Quinn said earlier this offseason that Kazee is not only a candidate to garner playing time at free safety, but he's also a potential option at nickelback. Entering his third pro campaign out of San Diego State, Kazee will strive to improve as a tackler, but his ball-hawking abilities are undeniable. After he accounted for an NFL-high seven interceptions this past season, Atlanta wants to find a way to get him in the lineup one way or another. With Keanu Neal (knee) and Ricardo Allen (Achilles) both likely to be recuperated in time for training camp it's going to be challenging to snag a starting spot at safety, but his shift to nickelback would provide the defensive backfield with another key difference-maker.
