Damontae Kazee ‘in a happy place’ back with Steelers, expects to practice next week

It’s been almost eight weeks since Damontae Kazee was on a field practicing or playing with his teammates.

“It’s been boring,” the Pittsburgh Steelers safety said Wednesday. “I just wanna play.”

Kazee might get that chance soon. On injured reserve since before the start of the regular season because of a wrist injury suffered in the preseason finale, Kazee also served a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse.

Both the minimum IR term and the suspension have expired, and Kazee is back at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex with no cast or brace on his wrist. Kazee has not yet, though, returned to practice.

“I am getting close,” he said after Wednesday’s session. “I’ll probably be cleared for next week.”

Once Kazee returns to practice, the Steelers have 21 days during which to activate him to the 53-man roster or he is lost for the season.

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In some ways, Kazee’s return can’t come soon enough for a Steelers secondary that was down four of its top five members for this past week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kazee was taking plenty of first-team reps on defense during training camp, expected to slot into a role as the No. 3 safety behind starters Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. That probably would have been plenty of subpackage play for Kazee, a six-year NFL veteran who started at free safety last year for the Dallas Cowboys.

Kazee, who has 49 career NFL starts, was opening eyes as a playmaker during training camp.

“We are going to get back to that,” Kazee said, “as soon as I come back.”

Kazee said he previously had been informed of his suspension heading into this season. That made serving it while on IR more palatable.

All Kazee is waiting on now is final clearance from medical personnel. He said he’s been doing anything physical that he can — running, lifting, footwork drills — as well as keeping immersed in the Steelers defense.

Now, he’s back with his teammates and eager to get back on the field with them.

“It feels great, it really does,” Kazee said. “I am just grateful and happy and blessed to be back with the team. I got the hard stuff over with, my suspension, being out hurt. I am in a happy place now.”

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