Houston Texans safety Azeez Al-Shaair has been suspended three games without pay for “repeated violations of rules intended to protect the health and safety of players,” the NFL announced Tuesday.
Al-Shaair was ejected from the Texans’ 23-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday after he hit a defenseless Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence, the Jaguars’ quarterback, was sliding when Al-Shaair dove and hit him in the head with his forearm. Lawrence exhibited the fencing pose after the collision and left the game with a concussion.
Al-Shaair had already been fined two times this season, once for a late hit and once for throwing a punch.
“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,” Jon Runyan, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, wrote in a letter to Al-Shaair. “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’s letter also describes Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence as “unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules.”
Al-Shaair apologized for the hit Monday.
“To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening,” he wrote on X. “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.’”
The three-game suspension means Al-Shaair would not be eligible to play until Houston’s Week 18 game against the Tennessee Titans. He is appealing the suspension, however, ESPN reported.
On Monday, Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson said the team will evaluate whether Lawrence will play again this season after he clears the league’s concussion protocol.
Lawrence said Sunday on X: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out / been praying for me. I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.”
