Pittsburgh Steelers safety, Damontae Kazee has returned to practice on Thursday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. His return officially begins the 21-day window in which he must be activated off the Injured Reserve list. The veteran was slated for a big role in the Steelers defense this season, but suffered a wrist injury in the preseason finale. Unfortunately, it ended up being a quite significant injury, as the team placed him on the IR relatively quickly.
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His return will be much-needed, as the team's secondary has been pretty banged up over the last few weeks. While Tre Norwood did his job in filling in for Minkah Fitzpatrick in Week 6, Kazee will likely step in as the team's third safety once he returns. He'll get plenty of snaps in sub packages, as his physicality at safety is impactful. Kazee's presence in the lineup allows defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to get creative with his crew.
Kazee practicing on Thursday signifies that he's healed from his injury, as he just needs to get his feet underneath him now. Rookie wide receiver, Calvin Austin III is in a similar situation at the moment, as he's halfway through his 21-day window. Austin admitted his fitness wasn't quite up to par or ready for an NFL gameday experience quite yet.
Just before he was eligible to return from the IR, Kazee was suspended a few weeks ago for violating the league's substance abuse policy. While it only added a week to the timetable of his possible return, it certainly set everything back. In his first year with the team, Kazee will now look to make his team debut sooner rather than later.
How big will his return to the lineup be? How should Teryl Austin use Kazee on defense? What are your expectations for him once he's back? Share your thoughts on Kazee and anything else regarding the Steelers on our social media sites!
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