Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair won’t escape his three-match suspension after an illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The NFL subsequently upheld the suspension Al-Shair appealed against it.
“Hearing Officer Ramon Foster, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, has upheld the three-game suspension of Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair,” Michael Signora, the NFL’s senior vice president of football and international communications, wrote in a message Wednesday on X.
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair during Sunday’s game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
Al-Shaair’s goal on Lawrence came with just over four minutes remaining in the first half of Sunday’s game between Jacksonville and Houston. Lawrence was scrambling to his left on a second-and-7 play when he initiated a slide. At that moment, Al-Shair appeared to raise his forearm and hit the defenseless quarterback.
Chaos then broke out on the field as Jacksonville players physically reacted to Al-Shaair’s goal, leading to a violent battle between the two teams. Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player to see Al-Shaair pushing and shoving after the goal, before several other players followed suit.
Players fight after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair hit Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence during the game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
After the match, Al-Shaair also spoke out against “racist and Islamophobic fans” in the wake of the public reaction to the incident. He has also apologized and insisted it was not intentional.
“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intention of hurting anyone and anyone who knows me knows that. My goal is to hit you as hard as I can and then I pray you’re still in are able to hit up and play the next piece,” he said in a statement. “And when the game is over, go home to your family unscathed, because it’s not personal! It’s just competition. We’re both trying to do the same thing: take care of our families!”
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is hit by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair during Sunday’s game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
“I really didn’t see him slide until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye. To Trevor, I sincerely apologize for what happened in the end. Before the game we talked and I told you how it went.” It was great to see you back on the field and I wished you the best. I would never want a player to get hurt by a hit I give him, especially if it is deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary’. For the rest of his teammates, I can certainly understand standing behind him and defending him in a situation like this,” Al-Shaair said.
Al-Shaair was fined earlier this year after punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline during their Week 2 game. The incident occurred during a scuffle that started after Al-Shaair’s hard shot at Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was hit on the sideline. not marked.
Meanwhile, Lawrence was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, effectively ending his season.
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