HOUSTON (AP) — On Sunday afternoon, the NFL suffered another big scare when Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair violently hit the face shield of defenseless Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he was sliding to end the play.
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The condemnable action occurred in the second quarter of the game and Lawrence had to be taken off on a stretcher due to the concussion.
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The young quarterback, first overall pick in the 2021 Draft, was returning to the starting lineup after missing two games due to a sprained left shoulder.
Lawrence clenched both fists after the blow, a movement consistent with what is known as the "fencing response," common after a traumatic brain injury. He was on the ground for several minutes while his teammates came to his defense and struck Al-Shaair.
The Texans linebacker was ejected for “an illegal, unnecessary hit to the quarterback's head and neck area,” said referee Land Clark. Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones was also ejected for throwing a punch in the scuffle.
Harsh criticisms against Al-Shaair and a possible suspension
After the game, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram explained the play and the reaction against the Houston linebacker: “I saw him sliding and then I saw the hit, and then, honestly, my emotions just took over. I knew it was wrong. It was just a dirty play, and you stand up for your teammates.”
The same Texans coach, DeMeco Ryans, regretted his player's action: "It is regrettable the hit on Azeez. That is not what we are training for. We want to be smart in everything we do and not harm the team. We just have to be smarter when a quarterback is falling."
In any case, Ryans offered support to Al-Shaair by saying that the play "is not representative of who Azeez is. He is a smart player, truly a great leader for us."
The Jaguars' coach, Doug Pederson, said it was a play that "really has no place in our league."
As Al-Shaair left the field, fans started yelling at him. The veteran Jaguars guard, Brandon Scherff, joined in, causing another altercation. Texans teammate Will Anderson grabbed Al-Shaair and escorted him off the field when a fan threw a water bottle and hit Anderson's helmet. The fan was ejected.
It is taken for granted that Azeez Al-Shaair will be suspended, but it is only a matter of finding out how many games the NFL will give him.
Al-Shaair accumulates several penalties for unnecessary violence
Last week, Al-Shaair was penalized and then fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Titans' runner, Tony Pollard.
He received another fine earlier this year after punching Bears' runner Roschon Johnson off the field. This happened during a fight that started after his hard hit on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline went unsanctioned.
Al-Shaair's apologies to Trevor Lawrence
The linebacker apologized on social media X to the Jaguars quarterback. In an extensive post, Al-Shaair said he did not see Lawrence slide until it was "too late" and that it happened "in the blink of an eye" before apologizing for the hit.
"Trevor, I truly apologize for what ended up happening. Before the game, we talked and I told you how great it was to see you back on the field and wished you the best. I would never want to see any player injured by a hit I made, especially one that was considered 'late' or 'unnecessary'," wrote Al-Shaair.
Later in the publication on X, Al-Shaair said that he understood why the Jacksonville players defended Lawrence in the fight that followed the hit.
However, the Texans player was tough against journalists and people who have attacked him in a racist manner: "To all the people who have called me all sorts of names, from reporters eager to find a villain to write about, to racist and Islamophobic fans, you don't know my heart or my character and I don't need to prove anything to any of you. God knows my intentions and anyone who has been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart."