The three-game suspension for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for his illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was upheld on Wednesday.
His case was heard by former NFL offensive lineman Ramon Foster, currently an NFL appeals officer, and he opted to uphold the suspension.
Al-Shaair laid a vicious hit on Lawrence midway through the second quarter of the Texans’ win.
Lawrence was down on the field before being carted to the locker room and eventually ruled out due to a concussion.
Anyone that knows Azeez, talks to Azeez — nobody with a bigger heart than Azeez.
On Wednesday, the three-game suspension that Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair received for illegally hitting Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was upheld.
In imposing its suspension, the NFL claimed that Al-Shaair had repeatedly broken regulations meant to safeguard players’ health and safety and encourage sportsmanship. After being sent off during Sunday’s victory over the Jaguars, Al-Shaair filed an appeal against the suspension. Ramon Foster, a current NFL appeals officer and former offensive lineman, heard his case and decided to uphold the suspension.
The earliest possible return date for Al-Shaair is January 5 against the Tennessee Titans. He will be eligible to rejoin the Texans’ active roster after the team’s Week 17 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Halfway through the Texans’ victory in the second quarter, Al-Shaair hit Lawrence viciously. After missing time due to a shoulder injury, Lawrence was making his comeback to the field. On a second-and-seven play, he scampered up the left side of the field and slid after covering six yards. When he was well into his slide, Al-Shaair was seen flying at Lawrence and using his forearm to strike the quarterback’s head hard.
After being carried to the locker room after suffering a concussion, Lawrence was declared out of the game.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote to Al-Shaair that the Texans linebacker has been involved in numerous incidents of personal fouls and rules violations pertaining to sportsmanship in recent seasons.
With 4:20 left in the second quarter of your game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 1, you participated in a play that the League deems intolerable and a major infraction of the rules of play. The video captures you hitting Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the head/neck region after he obviously slides feet first. When you had time and space to avoid making contact, you led with your forearm and helmet and struck your opponent hard in the head/neck region. “.”.
“You got into a fight after the illegal hit, which you intensified when you yanked an opponent to the ground by his facemask. You removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field after the referee declared that you were disqualified for the hit and your unsportsmanlike behavior. This led to another altercation close to the end zone.
“Your continued disrespect for NFL playing rules endangers the health and safety of you and your opponents, and it will not be tolerated. 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.”. “..”.
DeMeco Ryans, the coach of the Texans, defended Al-Shaair on Tuesday, pointing out that defensive players find it challenging to deal with a quarterback who slides late. The Jaguars were chastised by him for overreacting to the hit.
Ryans stated, “We stand behind Azeez with the entire Azeez situation,” according to KPRC2. There are two parts to it. Nowadays, many quarterbacks attempt to use the rule to their advantage or slide late in an attempt to gain extra yardage. There is a lot of responsibility on the defender, like you. You don’t need to know what a guy is thinking, whether he’s on the quarterback or the sidelines. You can’t tell if a man is staying up and running. You hit the man after you get a late slide, and you have no idea.
“That Trevor was injured is regrettable. Trevor is doing well, I hope. But you also have to get down when you’re sliding. The goal of the getting out of bounds or getting down rule is to keep quarterbacks safe. In the league, we want our quarterbacks to be safe. Therefore, we simply need to be cautious and keep our heads down when sliding. Azeez strikes the man throughout, but their sideline overreacts and the altercation devolves into a brawl. It wasn’t our guys, though. Their team went overboard, pushing and dragging our player to the sidelines. On that side, that is therefore inappropriate. “,”.
Ryans also defended Al-Shaair from charges of being a dirty player and praised his character.
“He leads us exceptionally well. Ryans stated, “He plays the game the right way and is a really good leader for us.”. “He plays the game with no intention of hurting anyone. Nobody has a larger heart than Azeez, so anyone who knows him will talk to him. I’ve known this special guy since the year 2019. I enjoy working with him; he is a special young man.
“Azeez is completely different from any portrayal of him as a dishonest player or engaging in deliberate misconduct. Those who are familiar with Azeez are aware of his style of play. He does play it quickly. He acts like a guy. But in today’s game, that physical nature can occasionally be misinterpreted. “.”.
General manager Nick Caserio of the Texans also made a forceful statement regarding the situation and its effects.
He stated bluntly, “Quite frankly it’s bullshit.”. “It is unjust to the organization, to the individual, and to the individual. “.”.
He blasted the NFL for what he perceives to be inconsistent behavior and a misrepresentation of Al-Shaair’s personality.
One of the most significant issues that we seem to be angry about, in my opinion. is the image that has been painted of Azeez. It’s unfair, to be honest,” he remarked. And one of the main problems, in my opinion. is dependable from the league. In this case, I would say that, to be honest, there is absolutely no consistency in the degree of discipline that has been taught. “.”.
Other instances from this season were cited by Caserio, such as Buffalo Bills safety Kareem Jackson receiving numerous fines and ejections prior to his suspension, Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James being ejected and then suspended for one game, and Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch being ejected against the Green Bay Packers and playing the following week.
In order to support his player with examples of his selflessness, the general manager highlighted the problem he perceives in the comments made about him.
“No one is more about the team who has earned respect and embodies everything we want the program to be about than this selfless individual. In other words, he attended a United Way event this morning. So we’re talking about some of the remarks that have been made about his personality, his character, and his intentions by people who, to be honest, don’t know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair,” Caserio stated. It is, quite frankly, embarrassing for the league to make some of the remarks they did regarding poor sportsmanship, coachability, and disregard for the rules. Additionally, we are discussing a player who has never been ejected or suspended. “.”.
