Steelers' Damontae Kazee Suspended Rest Of Season After Violent Michael Pittman Hit

Steelers safety Damontae Kazee has just been sidelined for the rest of this season ... after the NFL slapped him with a suspension for his dangerous hit on Michael Pittman Jr. over the weekend.

In a statement announcing the ban on Monday, the league said the blow -- which happened in the second quarter of Pittsburgh's loss to Indianapolis on Saturday -- was "a serious violation of the playing rules."

The play was one of the most violent of the season -- Kazee left his feet and made contact with Pittman Jr.'s head/neck -- and the NFL made it clear when revealing Kazee's punishment it doesn't want that kind of act ever repeated again.

"You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided," NFL exec Jon Runyan said in a letter to Kazee revealing the suspension. "Your actions were flagrant, and as a result, you were disqualified from the game."

Kazee will now miss Pittsburgh's games against the Bengals, Seahawks, Ravens and any potential playoff games this season.

Runyan noted in his letter that previous violations factored into Kazee's lengthy ban.

"When players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, and particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player, it is appropriate to impose substantially greater penalties," he said.