After delivering a vicious, brutal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday that caused him to leave the game with a concussion, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair issued an apology on Monday.
During the second quarter of the Texans’ 23–20 victory on Sunday, Al-Shaair, leading with his forearm, crashed into Lawrence’s upper body as the quarterback was about to slide, sending his head hard against the turf.
Due to the hit he gave Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday, Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is now expected to get a suspension. How long is the only question.Twitter: pic.twitter.com/P8phiFecS02
Following the blow, Lawrence clenched both fists, which is a frequent reaction following traumatic brain injury and is known as the fencing response. After the hit, he lay on the ground for a number of minutes, which led to a fight between the teams on the field. Al-Shaair was eventually expelled, and Lawrence was later taken off with a head injury.
Jacksonville tight end After the game, Evan Engram pushed Al-Shaair during the altercation.
“You’ll see this in slow motion and Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying to prevent in this situation,” Johnston, Daryl.image.twitter.com/YJhrCVEWjS
After the game, Engram informed reporters it was a dirty hit. Those hits are obviously constantly in doubt. I caught a glimpse of Trevor’s descent out of the corner of my eye. I was able to see it rather clearly, and I just [acted on] my intuition at the time. Go support my quarterback because it didn’t feel like a clean hit.
Al-Shaair said he truly didn’t see him slide until it was too late and apologized to the Jaguars and Lawrence.
I’ve always given the game my best effort. Everyone who knows me is aware that I never intend to hurt someone. In a post on X, Al-Shaair stated, “I want to hit you as hard as I can, and then I hope you’re still able to get up and play the next play.” And since it’s only competition and not personal, you can return home to your family unhurt after the game! We are both attempting to support our families, which is the same goal!Sincerely, it wasn’t until it was too late that I noticed him sliding. And everything takes place in an instant.I truly sorry to Trevor for the events that transpired.
Al-Shaair has earned a reputation for playing in an excessively rough and dubious manner, occasionally going too far. After a late hit out of bounds on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard last week, Al-Shaair was flagged and then fined $11,255. Additionally, he was hit on the sideline by Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson in Week 2 of this season, earning him a $11,817 fine.
Al-Shaair may be suspended and is anticipated to receive a fine.
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