NFL upholds Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair's suspension over illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence after appeal
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.
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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.
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