Legendary quarterback Tom Brady tormented NFL defenders for his entire career, but he's supporting a defensive player following a controversial decision.
After Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Damontae Kazee was suspended for the remainder of the regular season for violating player safety rules, Brady wrote on Instagram that he feels "to put the blame on the defense player all the time is just flat out wrong."
🅱️⚡️ @chicagoBRIZTom Brady speaks on the Kazee suspension <a href="">
Brady's comments echo his beliefs that the onus is on the quarterback to avoid putting receivers in situations where they can suffer hard hits. In 2021, he said, "If you're a quarterback, you've gotta protect yourself and your players. It shouldn't be the responsibility of your opponent to protect you."
Kazee's suspension came after his hard hit on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in Saturday's game that caused him to suffer a concussion. That marked Kazee's last play of the 2023 season, as he was ejected from the game and his suspension would include any potential playoff games if the Steelers make it to the postseason.
Per ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Kazee had previously incurred five fines for various unnecessary roughness violations this season for a total of $59,030. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he believes Kazee never intended to be a reckless player, but the current NFL rules aren't friendly to defenders.
"Sometimes it's just professional football today, and how difficult it is to operate, but the National Football League is really clear, man. They put a hundred percent of the onus on the defender in those circumstances," Tomlin said. "It's unfortunate, but we understand it."
In addition to losing Kazee, Pittsburgh star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick suffered a knee injury against the Colts and has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
