The NFL made a surprising announcement on Monday, issuing a season-long suspension to Steelers safety Damontae Kazee after his ejection on Saturday for a hit on Michael Pittman Jr. While some believe this was the right decision by the NFL, others think that it is a bit harsh, including Tom Brady.
The decision was made after Pittman Jr. was hit in the head by Kazee while attempting a diving catch, which ultimately led to Pittman Jr. suffering a concussion on the play.
A brutal hit to the head of Colts star WR Michael Pittman Jr. results in Steelers safety Damontae Kazee being ejected from the game. pic.twitter.com/LgbStMlCbu
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) December 16, 2023
Kazee was certainly put in a hard position defensively on the play, and he almost had no choice but to hit Pittman Jr. where he did considering the way that Pittman laid out for the ball.
Instead of blaming Kazee for this hit, Tom Brady seems to believe that Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew is at fault for putting his receiver in this position in the first place by throwing that pass into traffic.
Brady shared a comment on Instagram, calling out Minshew for the dangerous throw.
“Nobody likes seeing players get hurt,” wrote Brady via Ari Meirov on Twitter/X. “But hard hits happen. QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these types of hits. Coaches need to coach better, QBs need to read coverages and throw the ball to the right places and defenders should aim for the right hitting areas.
“To put the blame on the defensive player all the time is just flat out wrong. Need better QB play!! It’s not OK QBs to get your WRs hit because of your bad decisions!”
Tom Brady on Damontae Kazee’s suspension:
“To put the blame on the defensive player all the time is just flat out wrong. … It’s not OK QBs to get your WRs hit because of your bad decisions!” https://t.co/1NS5iExWZ8 pic.twitter.com/xz20vUwB2u
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 18, 2023
It’s not exactly surprising that Brady feels this way, particularly because he recently said that there has been “a lot of mediocrity” in the NFL nowadays. He was seemingly referring to quarterback play in particular with this statement.
To be fair to Garner Minshew, he has been anything but mediocre for a large portion of the season for the Colts. His steady play has played a big role in the team finding themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff picture coming down the stretch of the season.
That being said, you can certainly argue that Minshew put his receiver in a tough spot by making that throw, which led to the hit and ultimately the suspension for Kazee.
