EXCLUSIVE: NFL legend Joe Theismann happened to wear the Jacksonville Jaguars game against the Houston Texans on December 1.
Seven games took place that day at 1 p.m., including one with Theismann’s former team, the Washington Commanders. But purely by chance, he tuned in to watch a match that ended up being one of the most controversial moments of the NFL season.
Theismann saw the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence take a nasty illegal hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in the second quarter when the quarterback tried to slide down on a play. It was the last action for both players this season, as Al-Shaair was sent off and handed a three-match ban, while Lawrence was placed on season-ending injury reserve.
“It’s a violent sport, people hit each other and sometimes things happen,” Theismann told Fox News Digital. “The league apparently really made the decision and gave him a three-match suspension, so they felt that Al-Shaair might have been able to control the hit a little more.”
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair makes a late hit, Dec. 1, 2024, at EverBank Stadium. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
For Theismann, it was a moment similar to the last time he played a down in the NFL 39 years ago. In November of the 1985 season, Theismann was tackled by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor on a play that broke the former quarterback’s leg and ended his playing career.
The goal for Lawrence won’t have nearly the same impact, but it did give him a concussion and sparked a huge brawl between teammates. But Theismann also believes this is a moment that should also spark a discussion about quarterback sliding.
“The quarterback slide, now they’re going to have to rethink it a little bit. As a quarterback you have to think about the way you want to protect yourself. I’ve always told players this: don’t just let the rules or the officials protect you, protect yourself ,” said Theismann.
“If you’re going to slide, maybe it will make the guy slide a little bit faster, a little bit sooner, so just try to hope that something like that will be used in a positive way so that we don’t do that” I don’t see this happening again. ”
Theismann declined to comment on whether he thought Al-Shaair’s suspension was justified.
Fellow famous NFL quarterback Tom Brady offered a similar take to Theismann’s during an interview on “The Herd” on December 3.
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Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides down for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, December 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
“Defensive players have to be aggressive, that’s their nature,” Brady said. “The quarterbacks need to take better care of themselves… When you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger. When you do that, I don’t think the responsibility of protecting an offensive quarterback who is running should fall on a defensive player. I don’t think that’s really fair to a defense.”
Brady also said he disagreed with the idea that Al-Shaair’s hit indicates the linebacker is a “dirty player.”
Others, however, are much more critical of Al-Shaair.
Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, released a message damning statement about Al-Shaair shortly after the incident, amid a flurry of intense reactions against the linebacker for the hit.
“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach and enjoy watching it is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL… Your continued disregard for the rules of the game jeopardizes the health and safety of both you and your opponents is at risk and will not be tolerated,” Runyan said.
Al-Shaair has apologized for the blow and insisted it was not intentional. But the reaction was so strong that he responded to it in different ways.
Al-Shaair also spoke out against “racist and Islamophobic fans” in the wake of the public reaction to the incident. Many fans looked at him critically for wearing it pro-Palestinian slogans.
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Players fight after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair hit Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
“To the rest of the people I mentioned by every name in the book, from reporters ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans and people: you don’t know my heart, nor my character that I don’t have to prove to any of you. “God knows my intentions and anyone who has been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart,” he wrote in a statement.
After it was announced that Al-Shaair’s appeal against his three-match suspension had been rejected, he sent a message with a different tone on Wednesday.
Al-Shaair posted a collection of photos on Instagram with the cryptic caption: “IF YOU WANT ME TO BECOME YOUR VILLAIN, YOU WILL BE VILLAIN! SEE YOU SOON.”
The four photos he posted were of him entering the field, a pro-Palestinian cobbler, a photo of Heath Ledger as the Joker and a quote that said: “It’s beautiful to be rejected, misunderstood, unseen and unprotected by people .It teaches you to rely on Allah for everything.”
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