Calls for Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to receive a fine and a lengthy suspension have been raised after his devastating hit to Trevor Lawrence. In the match between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, December 1, Al-Shaair was ejected after he dove into Lawrence with his forearm while the quarterback slid onto the ground. Lawrence suffered a concussion and laid on the ground for several minutes, while an altercation between the two teams escalated. Here’s what could happen to Al-Shaair as a penalty for his illegal hit.
Will Al-Shaair be fined or suspended after his hit against Trevor Lawrence?
Al-Shaair is expected to be fined for his hit against Trevor Lawrence, and the possibility of a lengthy suspension is not out of the question.
This is according to ESPN, which also points out that Al-Shaair has already been fined earlier this year. In Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, he was fined $11,817 for throwing a punch at Roschon Johnson, a Chicago Bears running back. Given that he was already penalized for unnecessary roughness this year, the NFL is more likely to hand down a more severe penalty against Al-Shaair for this incident.
Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated believes that Al-Shaair should be suspended for the remainder of the season. He says that this would send a clear message by the NFL and that this moment gives the organization the opportunity to “regain control of the weaponization of equipment before it occurs in a stand-alone-playoff game.”
In a Monday post on X (formerly Twitter), Al-Shaair apologized for the incident, stating “To Trevor i genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.” He says that he never wants any player hurt because of a hit he made, especially one that’s called “late” or “unnecessary.”
As for Lawrence, he provided an update on December 1, stating on X that he’s at “home and feeling better.”
