Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is justifiably out for the rest of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars — and likely beyond.
Officials ejected Al-Shaair from the Week 13 AFC South showdown after an egregious cheap shot on Trevor Lawrence knocked the Jaguars’ QB out of the game with a concussion — and ignited a massive brawl.
Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair Ejected
After delivering the illegal and dirty blow, Al-Shaair was involved in a shoving match with multiple members of the Jaguars. He even needed to be restrained by Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans and pulled away from the scrum.
Multiple members of the Texans organization then escorted Al-Shaair to the locker room to ensure things did not escalate further with players or even fans, who threw objects at him as he walked through to the tunnel.
The condemnation of the hit was immediate and overwhelming.
“It’s everything you’re not supposed to,” FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston said on the broadcast. “Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying prevent in this situation.
“It’s reckless. It’s disrespectful. There’s an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field. You respect him. There’s opportunities to be physical, give big hits, and play this game in that manner. And there’s other times when there’s a respect that you grant to your opponent.”
"It's everything you're not supposed to do. Everything…There's an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field and you respect him."
Daryl Johnston on Azeez Al-Shaair.pic.twitter.com/KO9i2XbuIx
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 1, 2024
Johnston was spot on. Al-Shaair will be fined and likely suspended for as dangerous of a hit as you’ll see.
Lawrence was sliding during a scramble in the second quarter of Sunday’s game when Al-Shaair launched and hit him in the head with his left forearm. When a quarterback begins his slide, the play is considered over, and he is not to be hit anywhere, but particularly in the head.
Lawrence, whose head bounced off the turf as it was whipped back, remained on the ground for some time and exhibited a fencing posture — an involuntary response to a traumatic brain injury — immediately after the hit.
Lawrence ultimately got to his feet and into a golf cart. Jaguars medical staffers took him into the locker room, where they diagnosed him with a concussion.
Usually accompanying a loss of consciousness, the fencing posture is when the concussed person’s hands and arms extend or flex in an unnatural position, lasting for up to several seconds.
The NFL world became broadly aware of the posture after Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa seized up during a scary concussion he suffered in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals two years ago.
Lawrence will need to clear a five-stage process to return to play. In each of the two times Tagovailoa had a fencing response to a concussion, he missed multiple games.
In the bench-clearing brawl that ensued, Al-Shaair showed no remorse. Quite the opposite. He took off his helmet, flexed, and tried to continue fighting basically until the time he was removed from the field.
When things finally settled down, officials assessed an unnecessary roughness penalty on Al-Shaair and ejected him from the game.
Al-Shaair’s lack of remorse could factor into the league’s decision to suspend him. Potential fines that NFL has at its disposal: launching ($22,511), hit on a defenseless player ($16,883), fighting ($39,501), and taunting ($11,255).
Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones was also ejected from the game for his role in the post-play fracas. Jags tight end Evan Engram was flagged for unnecessary roughness but not ejected after defending his quarterback.