The NFL’s hearing officer, James Thrash, upheld the suspension of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee Wednesday night following an appeal. Kazee will miss the remainder of the season. However, there’s a chance Steelers fans could see Kazee suit up again before the year is up. The NFL also ruled that Kazee can return to the active roster if the Steelers reach the playoffs. Pittsburgh is currently 7-7 and 1 game out of a playoff spot with a perfect opportunity upcoming against Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens has been the subject of controversy lately after he blatantly failed to perform his blocking duties when his team ran the football in its Sunday loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Pickens afterward claimed he was trying to avoid sustaining the type of injury that Tank Dell, the excellent rookie wideout for the Houston Texans, recently suffered
However, if he is to become a truly Pro Bowl-caliber receiver, he will need to start to consistently fulfill his blocking duties and sacrifice his body for the good of his team.
Warren seemed to imply that perhaps that’s not what Pickens was looking to do this past weekend. “I see where he’s coming from,” Warren said, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, he was doing what he thought was best for him.”
The Steelers have been one of the NFL’s worst offensive teams in 2023, as they rank 28th in points and passing yards, 29th in first downs, and 31st in passing touchdowns. Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett clearly isn’t worthy of being the heir apparent to the retired Ben Roethlisberger, and wideout Diontae Johnson has been a disappointment, at least relative to his 2021 Pro Bowl campaign.
