Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was distraught after witnessing teammate and friend Tank Dell suffer a gruesome leg injury during the team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday afternoon.
The injury, which is expected to be season-ending, had a visible impact on the team and Stroud.
The second-year quarterback was brought to tears and had to be consoled by his other teammates.
When asked after the game how he was able to recover from the heartbreaking scene, Stroud spoke about his faith.
"All you can do is really pray. At the end of the day, God still gets the glory. Always, no matter what happens to me, I always know that I’m even up here because of the grace of Jesus and the grace of who He is in my life and Tank’s life. For anything how it goes, left or right or up or down, I always have to praise my Lord and Savior."
"It’s not easy to move on and just keep playing, but I tried to do as best as I could," he continued.
The Texans gathered around Dell and prayed before he was taken off the field in a covered medical cart. Stroud revealed what they prayed for.
"Jesus," he said simply. "Just finding him in this moment – it’s not easy to. He’s the Prince of Peace so I just prayed His peace over Tank’s head and his mental, his physical. We serve a miraculous God and I believe in healing and I pray that the Lord can heal him."
Saturday’s injury marks what will likely be the second season-ending injury for Dell. His rookie campaign was cut short when he fractured a fibula in a Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos last season.
Dell was injured while hauling in a 30-yard touchdown pass at the start of the second half. He was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where the team said he would remain overnight.
The status of Patrick Mahomes' ankle was widely discussed leading up to Saturday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.
While there was some doubt during the week whether the star quarterback would play against the Texans, he was able to fully get through the Chiefs' practice Thursday.
Mahomes was cleared to play and finished Saturday's 27-19 victory over Houston with 260 passing yards.
But the three-time Super Bowl winner turned some heads when he managed to stay on his feet after nearly being tripped and sprinted into the end zone for the first score of the game.
Mahomes was sidelined in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs' Week 15 game against the Cleveland Browns. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz stepped in for Mahomes and finished the 21-7 win over the Browns with 20 passing yards.
Mahomes' 15-yard scramble Saturday marked the longest rushing touchdown of his career. Moments after Mahomes crossed the goal line, broadcaster Noah Eagle wondered, "What bum ankle?"
This was not the first time Mahomes dealt with an ankle injury.
During the 2022 NFL postseason, Mahomes sustained what appeared to be a high ankle sprain in a divisional round playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The win over the Texans improved the Chiefs' record to 14-1. Kansas City had already clinched a playoff berth after winning the AFC West a ninth straight year.
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was taken off the field on a stretcher during Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs after sustaining a gruesome leg injury while scoring a touchdown in the second half.
Dell was injured a little over three minutes into the second half when quarterback C.J. Stroud connected with Dell in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown pass.
Almost immediately after making the catch, the second-year receiver remained down in obvious pain. He appeared to have sustained a serious knee injury while getting caught up with teammate Jared Wayne and a Chiefs defender.
According to ESPN, Dell's left leg was mobilized in a brace. He was placed on a stretcher and taken off the field in a covered medical cart. He was reportedly taken to an area hospital by ambulance.
After the game, head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that Dell would be staying at a local hospital overnight with the "significant" injury - reports say Dell dislocated his knee cap.
Dell also suffered a season-ending knee injury last year.
His rookie campaign was cut short when he fractured a fibula in a Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos last season.
Dell entered Saturday’s game with 45 receptions for 569 yards and two touchdowns.
Earlier this week, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he didn't want to put himself in "harm's way" and wanted to "protect" himself after sustaining an apparent ankle sprain.
Now, it seems Mahomes has nothing to be worried about.
The two-time NFL MVP is off the Chiefs' injury report and is good to go for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans.
Kansas City head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Thursday that Mahomes will "likely" play.
The injury comes at an inopportune time, with the Chiefs set for a stretch of three games in 11 days due to playing on Christmas Day, a rare Wednesday NFL contest.
"It’s not a good feeling," Mahomes told reporters last week about the schedule. "You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time. It’s not great for your body. But, at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it."
"All you can do is focus on the game. The practice you have that day," he added. "I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch. That's tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and prepare, and the coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice as hard as anybody, but they know how to dial it back when needed."
Mahomes injured his ankle in the fourth quarter on Sunday during the game against the Cleveland Browns. X-rays were negative, but backup Carson Wentz entered the game for a brief period.
Mahomes said he wanted to "be able to move" and "get out of the way" if he were to take the field this weekend.
"You don't want to go out there and put yourself in harm's way. It's football. You're going to take hits, but you want to be able to protect yourself," Mahomes said this week.
"I don't want to limit the game plan," he said. "That's another thing for me. I want to be able to still be able to move around the pocket so we're not just sitting in one spot the whole entire game and leading the D-line to get after it. So, it's about me finding that balance and seeing where I'm at and, like I said, I won't know until closer to the end of this week."
The Chiefs are looking to maintain their hold on the top seed in the AFC. At 13-1, they have the best record in the league and have a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills for a first-round bye. But the Bills would hold the tie-breaker over the Chiefs if they finish with the same record because Buffalo beat Kansas City, 30-21, on Nov. 17.
A win would improve the Chiefs to 13-1 and edge them closer to clinching the top seed in the conference.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
Patrick Mahomes practiced Tuesday despite dealing with an apparent high ankle sprain.
Mahomes was listed as a full participant in a short practice week ahead of a high-stakes showdown against the Houston Texans. He exited Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns after being injured. He said he doesn't know if he'll be able to play Saturday, but he does know what he'll have to do if he does play.
"I want to be able to move. I want to be able to get out of the way," Mahomes said, adding the Texans boast a dangerous pass rush. The Texans have the second-most sacks in the NFL this season with 45, just four behind the Denver Broncos for the league lead.
"You don't want to go out there and put yourself in harm's way. It's football. You're going to take hits, but you want to be able to protect yourself," Mahomes said.
If Mahomes can't go, the Chiefs will have to depend on backup Carson Wentz, a former Philadelphia Eagle. Wentz last started a game in the final week of last season for the LA Rams, leading the team to a 21-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
"I don't want to limit the game plan," Mahomes said. "That's another thing for me. I want to be able to still be able to move around the pocket so we're not just sitting in one spot the whole entire game and leading the D-line to get after it. So, it's about me finding that balance and seeing where I'm at and, like I said, I won't know until closer to the end of this week."
The Chiefs are in a race to maintain their hold on the top seed in the AFC. At 13-1, they have the best record in the league and have a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills for a first-round bye. But the Bills would hold the tie-breaker over the Chiefs if they finish with the same record because Buffalo beat Kansas City, 30-21, Nov. 17.
So, the Chiefs need two more wins to secure the top spot. Their final three games against the Texans, Steelers and Broncos will pit Mahomes and company against three playoff teams. The Steelers and Broncos have two of the league's top defenses. The Bills have a strong chance to win their last three games and with two against the Patriots and one against the Jets coming up.
The game against the Texans is ill-timed because Mahomes sustained the injury Sunday with just six days to prepare for the Texans.
The Chiefs will also have to turn around and play just three nights after that in a Christmas Day game Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
Mahomes previously griped about the scheduling in a press conference last week.
"It’s not a good feeling," Mahomes told reporters. "You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time. It’s not great for your body. But, at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it."
Mahomes was asked whether he has ever had three games in such a short span.
"I haven’t in football," he replied.
"All you can do is focus on the game. The practice you have that day," Mahomes added. "I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch. That’s tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and prepare.
"And the coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice as hard as anybody, but they know how to dial it back when needed."
Mahomes is facing injury, dangerous defenses and a grueling holiday schedule, and he'll have to play on Christmas a second straight season.
He'll be dealing with this all while facing the pressure of caring for his pregnant wife. Brittany Mahomes is reportedly in her third trimester of pregnancy, according to her trainer, Kristy Rae.
"Third trimester's my fave stage of pregnancy when it comes to training," Rae wrote on a recent Instagram video of Brittany's workouts. "There's studies that show your body basically goes into superhuman mode to prepare for child birth."
Houston Texans defensive back Calen Bullock delivered the hit on Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose that created a scary situation for the player on Sunday.
DuBose was down on the field for several moments and medical personnel had to cut off his jersey and remove his shoulder pads before placing him on a stretcher and carrying him out of the arena. DuBose spent the rest of the night in the hospital.
Bullock told reporters he didn’t think he was going to face discipline for the play.
"My intention was never to go out there and just try to completely take someone out of the game and hurt somebody," he said, via KPRC-TV.
"My intentions was never to go out and hurt nobody, that’s never any of our intentions. So, prayers out to him and his family. I hope he’s good. I was just seeing the ball, and I was breaking on the ball, and it just happened to be one of those type of plays."
Bullock was flagged on the play. DuBose appeared to clench his fists after the hit – movements consistent with the "fencing response."
"Very tough to have seen live," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. "I’m my toughest critic when it comes to ball placement, when it comes to knowing where to go with the ball and all that. I just feel bad that I even put him in that situation to have gotten hit. It was tough to move on after that happened."
Tagovailoa had multiple concussions in his NFL career – some extremely scary for a live audience to witness firsthand.
"We all know that I’ve gone through something similar, and that’s no fun," Tagovailoa added. "You never want to be put in any of those situations, but you also understand that this is a physical sport. It’s a contact sport. Again, I just think of what I could have done to not put Grant in that situation."
It was the second straight Texans game in which an opposing player was injured by a sketchy hit. Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair hit Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Dec. 1.
Al-Shaair was given a three-game suspension for the hit.
Former Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Eric Moulds has been accused in a lawsuit of knowingly giving several women sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
The woman who filed the lawsuit told the Buffalo News that Moulds "knew, or should have known, he had a sexually transmitted disease" and failed to disclose the disease before they became intimate. The newspaper reported that Moulds allegedly gave the woman herpes simplex virus type 2.
Herpes simplex type 2 spreads by sexual contact and causes genital herpes, according to the World Health Organization. It is treatable but not curable.
The lawsuit said Moulds’ pregnant fiancée contacted the plaintiff and recommended she get tested for STDs and that the plaintiff learned via social media of other women who claimed to have been given STDs by the former NFL player.
"I think about women that may be in the same situation I am, and I know what I would have liked to have seen for myself," she told the Buffalo News.
Frank LoTempio III, who represents Moulds, told the newspaper the allegations against his client are false.
"We are in the process of gathering information/evidence and will be responding to the complaint, which we will vigorously defend," he added in a separate interview with Newsweek. "I will have more information and comments once the litigation process starts."
The lawsuit said Moulds allegedly contacted the woman in 2018 via social media and entered into a romantic relationship in January 2023, with the pair allegedly having their last sexual encounter in November 2023, according to the paper.
The woman said she tested positive for the disease in December 2023 despite having no sexual partners other than Moulds in that span.
Moulds was a first-round pick out of Mississippi State in 1996 by the Bills. He played with Buffalo through the 2005 season and spent the final two with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, respectively.
He was a Pro Bowler with the Bills three times during his career.
He finished his NFL career with 764 catches for 9,995 yards and 49 touchdowns.
Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover needed an emergency appendectomy on Saturday night and will not be able to play in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, the team said.
The Texans downgraded Stover to out hours before kickoff.
Stover, a rookie, was a fourth-round draft pick out of Ohio State earlier this year. He’s been the backup to Dalton Schultz for most of the season, starting in eight of the 13 games he appeared in.
The 24-year-old player has 14 catches on 20 targets for 132 yards and one touchdown catch. The lone touchdown catch came in a five-point loss over the Tennessee Titans. He had three catches for 26 yards in the game.
The Texans (8-5) will have to go without him against the Dolphins in a pivotal matchup with playoff implications. Houston is trying to maintain its lead in the AFC South over the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans are up two games on the Colts in the win column.
Houston is 11th in points scored and 18th in yards gained but are 12th in points allowed and fifth in yards allowed. The Dolphins are 23rd in points scored and 19th in yards gained, as well as 14th in points allowed and ninth in yards allowed.
The Dolphins (6-7) won’t be able to win the AFC East but can still try to snag a wild-card spot with four games left in the season. Miami is ninth in the AFC playoff standings, just two games behind the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot.
EXCLUSIVE: NFL legend Joe Theismann just so happened to put on the Jacksonville Jaguars game against the Houston Texans on Dec. 1.
Seven games took place at the 1 p.m. slot that day, including one featuring Theismann's former team, the Washington Commanders. But out of sheer coincidence, he tuned in to watch a game that ended up with one of the most controversial moments of the NFL season.
Theismann saw the Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence take a vicious 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 play for either player this season, as Al-Shaair was ejected and dealt a three-game suspension while Lawrence has been placed on season-ending injury reserve.
"It is a violent sport, people hit one another, and sometimes things happen," Theismann told Fox News Digital. "The league evidently really made the decision and gave him a three-game suspension so they felt that maybe [Al-Shaair] could have controlled the hit a bit more."
For Theismann, it was a moment that resembled 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 hit to Lawrence won't have nearly the same impact, but it did give him a concussion and sparked a massive brawl between teammates. But Theismann also believes that it's a moment that should also spark a discussion on quarterbacks sliding.
"The quarterback slide, now they're going to have to revisit a little bit. As a quarterback you have to consider 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," Theismann said.
"If you're going to slide, guy will, now because of this, maybe slide a little bit quicker, a little bit earlier, so you try and hope that something like this will be used in a positive way so that we don't see this happen again."
Theismann declined to comment about whether he thought the suspension to Al-Shaair was justified.
Fellow famed NFL quarterback Tom Brady delivered a similar take to Theismann's during an interview on "The Herd" on Dec. 3.
"Defensive players have to be aggressive, that's they're 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 onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who’s running should be on a defensive player. I don’t think that’s really fair to a defense."
Brady also said he disagreed with the notion that Al-Shaair's hit indicates the linebacker is a "dirty player."
However, others have been much more critical of Al-Shaair.
Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, released a scathing statement about Al-Shaair shortly after the incident, amid a wave of intense backlash 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 NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated," Runyan said.
Al-Shaair has apologized for the hit and insisted that it wasn't intentional. But the backlash has been so strong that he's reacted to it in multiple ways.
Al-Shaair also spoke out against "racist and Islamophobic fans" in the aftermath of the public response to the incident. Many fans scrutinized him for wearing pro-Palestinian cleats.
"To the rest of the people who I’ve been called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans and people, you don’t know my heart nor my character which I don’t need 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 Al-Shaair's appeal of his three-game suspension was denied, he sent a message with a different tone Wednesday.
Al-Shaair posted an Instagram photo collection with the cryptic caption, "IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN! SEE YOU SOON."
The four photos he posted were of him entering the field, a pro-Palestinian cleat, a photo of Heath Ledger as the Joker and a quote that said, "There is a beauty in being rejected, misunderstood, unseen, and unprotected by people. It teaches you to rely on Allah for everything."
The NFL is giving Beyoncé fans a gift on Christmas.
The league is extending its halftime intermission for when the superstar singer-songwriter takes the stage during the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens matchup, per TMZ Sports.
Beyoncé won’t get a Super Bowl’s halftime length, but she will get about 20 minutes to perform.
The normal halftime is about 12–15 minutes long, and for the Super Bowl, halftime can last for 25 minutes.
Netflix is streaming both NFL games on Christmas, the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. ET and the Ravens-Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The two games are the first ever streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Netflix will be under a lot of pressure to ensure people are able to tune into the stream to watch the games after a lot of people had issues watching the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight in November.
Ronald "Blue" Denton, from Florida, actually filed a lawsuit accusing Netflix of "breach of contract" for constant glitches during the fight, per TMZ.
Netflix acknowledged the issues users had streaming in a statement following the fight.
"This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers," said Netflix executive Elizabeth Stone.
"I'm sure many of you have seen the chatter in the press and on social media about the quality issues. We don't want to dismiss the poor experience of some members and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success."
Netflix revealed that the Paul-Tyson fight drew 108 million viewers, making it the "most-streamed sporting event ever."
If Netflix cannot resolve their buffering issues come Christmas, the streaming service is going to have NFL fans and the "BeyHive" upset.
The NFL fined Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram for retaliation against the player who delivered a season-ending hit to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Engram was fined $11,255 after attacking Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in retaliation for his hit on Lawrence in the second quarter of Sunday's game, according to NFL.com.
Engram was the first Jaguars player to go after Al-Shaair after the hit, as players from both teams swarmed to the area of the hit.
"It was a dirty hit," Engram told reporters after the game. "In that moment, instinct was just, it didn't feel like a clean hit, so I had to go stand up for my quarterback.
"I just knew it was wrong. It was a dirty play. You stood up for your guys. It's just how it goes."
While Engram was fined, Al-Shaair was suspended three games without pay. The NFL has said the linebacker's involvement in the brawl played into the discipline.
Lawrence sustained his second concussion in a year from the hit and was placed on injured reserve. The quarterback will undergo shoulder surgery for an injury he initially sustained in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
After the game, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans criticized the Jaguars for "overreacting" after Al-Shaair's hit on Lawrence, suggesting the quarterback was at fault.
"It wasn’t our guys. It’s their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline. So, that’s uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines as well, with both teams," Ryans told reporters Sunday.
"I think what can be done is just you have to look at all sides, and we don’t have to overreact just because I think a guy gets hurt," he said. "We’re not intentionally trying to hurt anyone. I think there is an overreaction when someone gets hurt, but we just have to look at it all from all perspectives."
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson defended his team for its reaction to the hit and called Ryans' response to the incident "surprising."
"We’re not out to hurt anybody. We’re not out to ruin careers. We’re out to win a football game and play hard within the rules. That’s our job. That’s how we coach it. That’s how we play it," Pederson said.
"If they’re asking or suggesting we go after someone, we’re not doing that. Flat out, we are not doing that. It’s not how I coach. It’s not how I’m going to coach these teams, these players. We’re just going to go out and do our jobs. Play hard, play fast, play physical within the rules."
Al-Shaair has issued an apology and insisted he didn't intend to hit Lawrence illegally. The linebacker has also spoken out against "racist and Islamophobic fans" in the aftermath of the public response to the incident.
But after it was announced Al-Shaair's appeal of his three-game suspension was denied, he sent a message with a different tone Wednesday.
Al-Shaair posted an Instagram photo collection with the cryptic caption, "IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN! SEE YOU SOON."
The four photos he posted were of him entering the field, a pro-Palestinian cleat, a photo of Heath Ledger as The Joker and a quote that said, "There is a beauty in being rejected, misunderstood, unseen, and unprotected by people. It teaches you to rely on Allah for everything."
He posted on Instagram a photo collage with the cryptic caption, "IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN! [middle finger emoji] SEE YOU SOON"
The four photos he posted were of himself entering the field, a pro-Palestinian cleat, a photo of Heath Ledger as The Joker and a quote reading "There is a beauty in being rejected, misunderstood, unseen, and unprotected by people. It teaches you to rely on Allah for everything."
Lawrence posted on X on Sunday night that he was "home and feeling better," but the IR stint will cause him to miss the next four games.
That would make Lawrence eligible to return for the final game of the season, but it is hard to imagine the Jaguars risking anything in a meaningless game. In fact, the only meaning for them could be the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.
Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, announced that Al-Shaair would be suspended without pay in a lengthy letter, calling the hit "unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules."
The hit resulted in a melee between the two teams, but Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said the Jags overreacted.
"Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. Hope Trevor is OK, but it’s also, if we’re sliding, we have to get down. If we’re getting out of bounds, we get out of bounds and that rule is there to protect the quarterbacks, and we want our quarterbacks to be safe in the league, so we just have to be safe. If we’re sliding, make sure we’re keeping our heads down. And the entire thing is Azeez – he hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts, and it turns into a melee.
"It wasn’t our guys. It’s their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline, so that’s uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines, as well, with both teams."
Runyan also pointed to Al-Shaair’s involvement in the on-field brawl that erupted after the hit, as well as previous hits he has had that led to his punishment.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will require surgery to repair an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, according to NFL.com.
Lawrence initially injured his shoulder in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles and missed two games before returning Sunday against the Houston Texans. He was the victim of an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that landed him on season-ending injured reserve.
The hit incited a brief but intense melee between the two teams after Al-Shaair was flagged on the play and later dealt a three-game suspension without pay.
Lawrence's fourth NFL season ended after a disappointing 2-10 start. It's the second year in a row Lawrence has injured his shoulder.
Last season, he sustained a shoulder injury in a 30–12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. He missed the team's next game, the first he had missed in his career due to injury. He had only missed games in college at Clemson when he tested positive for COVID in 2020.
Lawrence, who signed a $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars in the offseason, will undergo the second major surgery of his life. He previously had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder before he was drafted first overall in 2021.
The hit has become one of the most controversial moments of the 2024 NFL season, prompting backlash against Al-Shaair and sparking conversations about player safety among current and former players like Tom Brady and Stephon Gilmore.
Al-Shaair has apologized for the hit and insisted it wasn't intentional. The linebacker appealed his suspension, but the NFL upheld it.
Al-Shaair also spoke out against "racist and Islamophobic fans" in the aftermath of the public response to the incident.
"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. 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," he said in a statement. "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. To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’ To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that."
Al-Shaair was fined earlier this year after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline during a Week 2 game. The incident occurred during a scuffle that started after Al-Shaair's hard shot on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline wasn’t flagged.
The hit against Lawrence Sunday resulted in multiple Jaguars players pouncing on Al-Shaair in retaliation, leading to the violent melee.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player seen pushing and shoving Al-Shaair after the hit before other Jacksonville players followed.
Head coach Doug Pederson defended his team Wednesday for its response.
"We’re not out to hurt anybody. We’re not out to ruin careers. We’re out to win a football game and play hard within the rules. That’s our job. That’s how we coach it, that’s how we play it," Pederson said at a team press conference.
"If they’re asking or suggesting we go after someone, we’re not doing that. Flat out, we are not doing that. It’s not how I coach. It’s not how I’m going to coach these teams, these players. We’re just going to go out and do our jobs. Play hard, play fast, play physical within the rules."
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested Lawrence should share responsibility for the hit.
"We stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that," Ryans said. "Of course, unfortunate hit on a quarterback, but it's two-fold. A lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late, and they try to get an extra yard.
"Now, you're a defender, and a lot of onus is on the defender. … Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. We hope Trevor's OK. But, also, if we're sliding, you have to get down."
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair won't escape his three-game suspension after an illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The NFL upheld the suspension after Al-Shaair appealed it.
"Hearing officer Ramon Foster, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, has upheld the three-game suspension of Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair," NFL Senior Vice President of Football & International Communications Michael Signora wrote Wednesday in a post on X.
Al-Shaair's hit on Lawrence took place with just over four minutes remaining in the first half of Sunday's game between Jacksonville and Houston. Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play when he initiated a slide. At that point, Al-Shaair appeared to raise his forearm and make a hit on the defenseless quarterback.
Chaos then broke out on the field when Jacksonville players responded physically to Al-Shaair's hit, sparking a violent melee between the two teams. Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player seen pushing and shoving Al-Shaair after the hit, before multiple other players followed suit.
After the game, Al-Shaair also spoke out against "racist and Islamophobic fans" in the aftermath of the public response to the incident. He has also apologized and insisted it was not on purpose.
"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. 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," he said in a statement. "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. To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’ To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that," Al-Shaair said.
Al-Shaair was fined earlier this year after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline during their game in Week 2. The incident occurred during a scuffle that started after Al-Shaair's hard shot on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline wasn’t flagged.
Meanwhile, Lawrence was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, effectively ending his season.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson defended his team on Wednesday after a controversial brawl against the Houston Texans.
After Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence took an illegal hit on a slide by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, chaos broke out on the field when Jaguars players responded physically to Al-Shaair's hit, sparking a violent melee between the two teams.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player seen pushing and shoving Al-Shaair after the hit, before multiple other Jacksonville players followed suit.
Pederson denied the notion that his players were "going after" anybody.
"We’re not out to hurt anybody. We’re not out to ruin careers. We’re out to win a football game and play hard within the rules. That’s our job. That’s how we coach it, that’s how we play it," Pederson said at a team press conference.
"If they’re asking or suggesting we go after someone, we’re not doing that. Flat out, we are not doing that. It’s not how I coach. It’s not how I’m going to coach these teams, these players. We’re just going to go out and do our jobs. Play hard, play fast, play physical within the rules."
Pederson also said that he was "a little surprised" that Houston coach DeMeco Ryans blamed Jacksonville’s sideline for escalating the brawl.
Al-Shaair was suspended by the NFL without pay for three games for repeated violations of player safety rules following the hit to Lawrence’s head, which caused the quarterback’s second concussion in less than a year.
Al-Shaair also spoke out against "racist and Islamophobic fans," in the aftermath of the public response to the incident.
"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. 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," he said in a statement. "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. To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want t see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’ To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that.
Meanwhile, Lawrence was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, effectively ending his season.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Jacksonville Jaguars star Trevor Lawrence kicked off a debate about quarterbacks’ tactics when it came to sliding after scrambles.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas weighed in on the debate on Tuesday after the NFL announced a three-game suspension for Al-Shaair. He wrote in a post on X that the league needed to get the so-called "weaponized quarterback slide" out of the sport.
"As dangerous as hits on a quarterback are when the quarterback chooses to slide, we need to stop allowing quarterbacks to fake slide or late slide in order to gain yardage and confuse the defenders on if the quarterback is sliding or not," Thomas wrote. "It would go a long way towards taking those terrible hits out of the game and making things more safe for the quarterback and for the defender.
"A late slide, fake slide, or acting like you’re gonna go out of bounds and then skirting forward for a few more yards; these all need to be 15 yard penalties against the offense. And it’s about time the NFL referees started marking the ball down immediately when the quarterback starts to slide… Which is the rule by the way!
"If this happens, the big hits on quarterbacks when they’re sliding will be completely eliminated from the game. That’s what we all want right?"
The play in question occurred late in the second quarter of the Texans and Jaguars’ matchup on Sunday.
Lawrence scrambled for a few yards and then decided to slide. At that same moment, Al-Shaair came in and nailed Lawrence in the head and neck area with his forearm. The hit sparked a brawl between Texans and Jaguars players.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan released a scathing statement about Al-Shaair as the league announced his suspension Tuesday.
"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 NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated," Runyan said in part.
Trevor Lawrence was knocked out of Sunday's game after taking a hit to the head by Azeez Al-Shaair.
Al-Shaair was suspended three games for the hit that was widely deemed dirty. However, the Houston Texans linebacker said he had no ill-intent, and general manager Nick Caseio called the treatment of the defender "bulls---."
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore would not go that far, but in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, he noted that it is a difficult circumstance.
"You never want to see someone get hit like that. It’s kind of tricky sometimes with quarterbacks running, trying to get first downs, and then sliding at the last second, I see both sides," he said.
Gilmore seemed to agree that defenders almost never get the benefit of the doubt on those bang-bang plays that happen in the blink of an eye.
"It’s hard – some quarterbacks slide early, sometimes you try to get a first down so they get aggressive," he said. "You don’t know when to pull back and go for the tackle, so it’s tricky."
Gilmore's comments echo what Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said about the ordeal, who even said the Jaguars players overreacted.
"But it’s also – it’s twofold, right? I mean a lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age. They try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late, and they try to get an extra yard, and now you’re a defender, a lot of onus is on the defender whether it’s on the sideline or whether it’s on the quarterback, you don’t know what a guy thinking," Ryans said. "You don’t know if a guy is standing up and he’s continuing to run, you don’t know, and then you get a late slide, and you’re – you hit the guy.
"Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. Hope Trevor is OK, but it’s also, if we’re sliding, we have to get down. If we’re getting out of bounds, we get out of bounds and that rule is there to protect the quarterbacks, and we want our quarterbacks to be safe in the league, so we just have to be safe. If we’re sliding, make sure we’re keeping our heads down. And the entire thing is Azeez – he hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts, and it turns into a melee.
"It wasn’t our guys. It’s their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline, so that’s uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines, as well, with both teams."
Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, said Al-Shaair's actions after the hit, and other dirty plays, contributed to his penalty.
Lawrence posted on X on Sunday night that he was "home and feeling better."
Houston Texans captain Azeez Al-Shaair getting a three-game suspension has been a massive storyline coming out of the NFL's Week 13 slate following his hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was attempting to slide.
Legendary quarterback and current Fox broadcaster Tom Brady gave his take on the matter during an appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," during which he admitted having "mixed emotions" about the hit that led to a massive skirmish and Al-Shaair's immediate ejection.
Lawrence was ruled out the remainder of the game for a concussion after his head whipped onto the grass.
"I’ll start by saying there’s mixed emotions I have about it as well," Brady said. "I remember in 2001, I think we played at Buffalo and I slid late. Nate Clements was the corner for the Bills, and he came up out of the secondary and absolutely crushed me. My helmet went flying off. I got back and ran into the huddle, and I had a lot of teammates that came up to me the next day and said, ‘Dude, these guys are coming. You got to get rid of that football. And if you’re gonna slide, you better get down. These guys are coming to get you.’
"It was a great kind of learning experience for me because I realized, when I’m out of that pocket, things are moving a lot faster for me. The defense is trying to be aggressive, and over time, the NFL has obviously done a lot of things to protect players — players’ health and safety and on, and on, and on."
One of the main rules is hits to the head and neck area, which the NFL has cracked down on in recent seasons. Also, hitting the quarterback while he slides is something defenses need to be wary of each week.
In the case of Al-Shaair, the NFL deemed him in the wrong for making his hit on Lawrence, saying in his suspension reasoning that he could've altered his hit in the moment.
Though Brady has been on the receiving end of such hits, he questioned if the way the NFL has evolved, in this case with quarterbacks running more often than ever in the history of the game, that the offense can't go without blame here.
"The only aspect that I think is very challenging, and certainly for Trevor Lawrence, nobody wants to see somebody get hurt," Brady said. "But it is also the reality of a very physical sport that we play. Defensive players have to be aggressive — that’s their nature. I try to be aggressive on offense, we try to block aggressively. And at the same time, the defense tries to tackle aggressively.
"There’s an aspect for me that I think the quarterbacks need to take better care of themselves. I see Josh Allen run it a lot, I see Lamar Jackson run it a lot, and it’s a great skill set to have. A lot of times, I wish I had that skill set. When you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger. When you do that, I don’t think the onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who’s running should be on a defensive player. I don’t think that’s really fair to a defense."
Brady said he doesn't like the label "dirty player," which has been used by fans against Al-Shaair, especially considering the league pointed to his past transgressions on the football field as reason for the three-game dock.
"I don’t like that one bit," Brady said about the dirty player label. "Maybe they fine or penalize a quarterback for sliding late. They say, ‘Look, if we don’t want these hits to take place, we’ve gotta penalize the offense and the defense rather than just penalize the defensive player for every single play for a hit that happens on a quarterback.’"
Brady knows that game speed in the NFL can be lightning quick with decision-making needing to be made fast in order to execute plays on both sides of the ball.
But sometimes those decisions don't match up well, resulting in what transpired in Duval County on Sunday afternoon where Al-Shaair's decision to go full speed into the sliding Lawrence will have him sidelined until Week 17.
The NFL announced a three-game suspension for Houston Texans player Azeez Al-Shaair on Tuesday. The 27-year-old linebacker will not receive his salary during the suspension, the league said.
The NFL cited multiple violations of its player safety rules after Al-Shaair delivered a violent hit to Trevor Lawrence's head area. The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback was carted off the field and diagnosed with a concussion. Al-Shaair was disqualified from the game after the hit.
In a letter announcing Al-Shaair's suspension, NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan mentioned the linebacker's previous offenses for personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations over the past few seasons.
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio met with members of the media on Tuesday and pushed back against the narratives concerning Al-Shaair that he believes have surfaced in the days since the controversial hit.
Caserio pointed the finger at the NFL for painting an "unfair" picture of Al-Shaair.
"It’s an unfortunate play and situation," Caserio said. "One of the biggest issues that we sort of take umbrage with, as a team and organizationally, is the picture that’s been painted of Azeez, quite frankly is unfair. I would say one of the biggest issues, and I probably speak for a lot of teams not only Houston Texans, but I think that’s all teams ask for is consistency from the league. I say in this situation quite frankly there’s no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that’s been handed down."
Caserio also suggested the league made comments about Al-Shaair without having a genuine understanding of the football player's personal character.
"We’re talking about some of the commentary that’s been made about his character, about the person that he is, about what his intentions are from people that quite frankly don’t know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair. For the league to make some of the commentary that they made about lack of sportsmanship, lack of coachability, lack of paying attention to the rules, quite frankly it’s embarrassing."
A portion of Runyan's letter delved into Al-Shaair's "lack of sportmanship" and suggested he had a "disregard for NFL playing rules."
"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 NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated," Runyan wrote.
Nevertheless, Caserio made it clear that the organization he works for loves "everything about" the veteran linebacker.
"… What we take umbrage is the picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person, quite frankly it’s bulls---. It’s unfair to the individual, it’s unfair to the organization and we love everything about Azeez Al-Shaair."
Al-Shaair issued an apology to Lawrence on Monday.
"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 wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "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.
"To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them, especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’ To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that."
Al-Shaair also took aim at members of the media who he believes framed him as a "villain."
"To the rest of the people who I’ve been called every single name in the book, from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans and people, you don’t know my heart nor my character which I don’t need to prove to any of you. God knows my intentions and anyone who has ever been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart."
It remains unclear whether Al-Shaair will file an appeal. But if the suspension is upheld, he won't be eligible to return to the Texans active roster until after Houston's Christmas Day game against the Ravens.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was suspended for three games for the late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawerence that led to the quarterback being carted off the field with a concussion on Sunday, the league announced on Tuesday.
Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, announced that Al-Shaair would be suspended without pay in a lengthy letter, calling the hit "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 also pointed to Al-Shaair’s involvement in the on-field brawl that erupted after the hit.
"You proceeded to engage in a brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask. After the referee announced that you were disqualified for the hit and your unsportsmanlike acts, you removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone."
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."
The hit took place with just over four minutes remaining in the first half. Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play when he initiated a slide. At that point, Al-Shaair appeared to raise his forearm and make a hit on the defenseless quarterback.
A brawl on the field erupted and Al-Shaair was ejected. He issued an apology on Monday.
"To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening," Al-Shaair wrote. "Before the game we spoke and I told you how great it was to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them, especially one that was ruled ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’"
Tuesday’s letter from the NFL appeared to call out Al-Shaair for his repeated violations this season.
Last week, he was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard.
He was fined earlier this year after he punched Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline wasn’t flagged.
