The NFL has put the hammer down on this repeat offender.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been banned for three games by the NFL following a dirty hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence during their 23-20 victory on Sunday. The league found the hit to be dangerous and excessive, enforcing the severe penalty as the Texans go into their bye week.
Al-Shaair was tossed and sent to the showers after delivering an illegal hit on Lawrence during the second quarter of the contest.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan announced in a lengthy and straight to the point letter that Al-Shaair would be suspended without pay, saying that the hit was “unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules.”
“Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide…You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact,” the letter to Al-Shaair read.
Runyan said Al-Shaair’s “lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football” does not “reflect the core values of the NFL” and called it “troubling.”
“Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.”
This was not his first incident with the NFL law. Last week, Al-Shaair was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard. He also was fined $11,817 earlier this year in Week 2, after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline. That took place during a dust up that began after his hard shot on signal caller Caleb Williams near the sideline was not met with yellow laundry.
Embed from Getty ImagesSince the vicious hit on Sunday, Al-Shaair has taken to social media and apologized, trying to make it clear by emphasizing that he was not attempting to injure Lawrence.
“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could, never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that,” Al-Shaair said in the statement. “My goal is to hit you as hard as I can, then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play, and when the game is over, go home to your family unharmed because it’s not personal it’s just competition! We both are trying to do the same thing which is provide for our families! I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye.”
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram did not take the attack on his teammate lightly and retaliated by shoving Al-Shaair to the turf, setting off a melee between the two teams. The altercation escalated to the point where Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans ran onto the field to personally restrain Al-Shaair and to calm down the situation.
“Unfortunate with the hit with Azeez,” Ryans said. “It’s not what we’re coaching. Just want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt our team. I didn’t want to see the melee and all of the aftermath. It’s not what we’re about. I talked to Azeez and addressed it personally, and we’ll move forward.”
The suspension will go into effect next week. The Texans are on their bye before embarking on a crucial and demanding three-game stretch in 15 days, facing a gauntlet, the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.
