- Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair has been suspended three games for hitting Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence while the Jaguars’ quarterback was sliding.
- Lawrence had to leave the game with a concussion, and Al-Shaair has since apologized to Lawrence on social media.
- Al-Shaair will appeal his suspension, but this isn’t his first brush with the NFL law.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a tough season, and they’re already eliminated from NFL playoff contention. The Jaguars were supposed to challenge for the AFC South title, but the campaign hasn’t gone to plan.
It has gone from bad to worse for the Jaguars as quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion after a late hit by Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair. The Texans’ linebacker has been suspended by the league for three games.
Al-Shaair Suspended for “Continued Disregard” of Player Safety, Will Appeal
The hit came during the NFL Week 13 matchup between the Texans and the Jaguars, which the Texans won 23-20. In the second quarter, Lawrence took off from the pocket, and it appeared as though he was going to slide. In came Al-Shaair, who hit Lawrence in the head with his forearm.
Lawrence immediately clenched his fists and went into the “fencing response”. This sparked a response from his teammates, including tight end Evan Engram. Al-Shaair and Engram got offsetting penalties for their roles in the dust up.
The Jacksonville quarterback was taken to the hospital and ruled out with a concussion. On Tuesday, the NFL suspended Al-Shaair for three games for the hit on Lawrence. Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of policy and rules administration, said:
"You were involved in a play that the [NFL] considers 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."
Runyan also claimed the hit was “unacceptable”, and his “continued disregard” for the rules “will not be tolerated”.
This isn’t Al-Shaair’s first time in front of the NFL’s rule-makers. The Houston linebacker was fined after a Week 12 late hit on Tennessee running back Tony Pollard. He was also fined for throwing punches against Chicago, after Al-Shaair landed a questionable hit on Bears’ rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence via social media, and he was defended by Houston general manager Nick Caserio. Al-Shaair also spoke out about the racism and Islamophobia that he received on social media.
Will Al-Shaair’s Appeal Work?
The apology to Lawrence was nice, but this might not go well for Al-Shaair, given his previous history and reputation around the league. He was fifth in the NFL last season with 163 tackles, and has all the tools to be a star. But Al-Shaair constantly toes the line between hard-hitting, and being considered “dirty”, which a tough reputation to shake once you get it.
The league will likely also consider, the severity of Lawrence’s concussion. He’ll probably miss the Jaguars’ NFL Week 14 meeting with the Titans. As they’re out of playoff contention, Jacksonville should think about the long-term health of their star quarterback, who has had other injuries this season.
Caserio claims to want better consistency among NFL officials, but this seems to be a pretty simple case for the league.
