NFL upholds Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair three-game suspension

Texans veteran linebacker and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair was unsuccessful in his appeal as NFL appeals officer Ramon Foster upheld his original three-game suspension Wednesday after a disciplinary hearing focused on his controversial, concussion-causing hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Now, there is clarity about Al-Shaair’s status heading into a pivotal stretch run for the 8-5 Texans. Following the Texans’ bye this week, Al-Shaair will be out and suspended without pay for a home game against the Miami Dolphins and a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs and a Christmas Day game against the Baltimore Ravens.

The appeal was heard by retired former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster on Tuesday afternoon. Foster is jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. This marks the first suspension of Al-Shaair’s NFL career.

Lawrence is likely out for the season after being placed on injured reserve Wednesday, which was another negative factor in Al-Shaair’s appeal effort that was ultimately denied.

Al-Shaair was originally suspended for three games without pay by the NFL for his tackle on the sliding quarterback Sunday during a 23-20 win over the Jaguars.

The suspension costs him $112,745 per week, including $83,333 per week in salary, plus $29,411.76 in per game active roster bonuses.

Al-Shaair will be eligible to return following a Week 17 game against the Ravens.

The hit, a forearm blow to Lawrence’s facemask from Al-Shaair, was immediately characterized as a “dirty hit,” by Jaguars players and by former players and television analysts. Texans players rose to Al-Shaair’s defense. Some Jaguars players, including standout pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen questioned whether Al-Shaair should even be fined, let alone suspended.

Al-Shaair apologized Monday morning to Lawrence and defended his character.

“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could,” Al-Shaair wrote on social media. “Never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that. My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play. And when the game is over go home to your family because it’s not personal, it’s just competition! I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happened in the blink of an eye.

“To Trevor, I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game, we spoke and I told you how it was great 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’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’ To the rest of his teammates, I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that.”

Al-Shaair was called several nasty names on social media, attacking him for his Muslim faith and for supporting the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund through the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative.

“To the rest of the people who I’ve been called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and Islamophobic fans and people, you don’t know my heart nor my character, which I don’t need to prove to any of you,” Al-Shaair wrote. “God knows my intentions and anyone who has ever been a teammate or a friend of mine knows my heart.”

The Texans are extremely upset and angry about things beyond the punishment from the league office.

The Texans took major exception with how Al-Shaair was characterized by NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan in his stern disciplinary letter and how his character has been assassinated by current and former players as well as on social media where commentary has crossed the line with people attacking the former undrafted free agent for his Muslim faith and support of a Palestine children’s relief fund through My Cause, My Cleats.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio was extremely fired up as he came to the defense of Al-Shaair on Tuesday. Caserio has never been this angry or outspoken since being hired by Texans owner Cal McNair, who attended his press conference along with his wife, foundation vice president Hannah McNair. During Caserio’s remarks, they nodded emphatically as he sounded off on the league.

Caserio pointed out the inequity of Al-Shaair’s punishment compared to other players who were ejected but weren’t suspended, including Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch. Al-Shaair had never been suspended previously, but has been fined twice this season, including $11,817 for punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson after being surrounded by their players on the sideline after a legal hit on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams that enraged the Bears and $11,255 for his late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, which was penalized.

In an impassioned press conference, Caserio spoke out about what’s been said about Al-Shaair, who joined the team in the offseason on a three-year, $34 million free agent deal that reunited him with coach DeMeco Ryans, his defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers.

“One of the biggest issues that take umbrage with, as a team and organizationally, is the picture that’s been painted of Azeez,” Caserio said. “Quite frankly, it’s unfair. I think that’s all teams ask for is consistency from the league. I would say in this situation -- I mean, quite frankly, there’s no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that’s been handed down. Nobody embodies our program more than Azeez, what he’s about, what he’s been through. You all know his story. There’s not a more selfless individual, more about the team, who’s earned the respect, that represents everything that we want this program to be about. We’re talking about some of the commentary that has been made about his character, about the person that he is, about what his intentions are, from people that, quite frankly, don’t know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair.

“For the league to make some of the commentary that they made about lack of sportsmanship, lack of coachability, lack of paying attention to the rules, quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. From our perspective, talk about a player who’s never been suspended, never been ejected. So, now we’re saying that he’s going to be suspended for three games. I think the big thing from our standpoint, and all teams want this, is just some level of consistency. We’ve talked to the league. Quite frankly, we don’t have a good explanation. I think where we take umbrage is the picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person. I mean, quite frankly, it’s bull--- and it’s unfair to the individual, it’s unfair to the organization. We love everything about Azeez Al-Shaair, what he means to this team, what he brings to this team.”

In the NFL disciplinary letter from Runyan to Al-Shaair explaining the suspension, he cited repeated violations of the rules intended to protect the health and safety of players and promote sportsmanship.

“During your game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 1, with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules,” Runyan wrote. “Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide...You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact.”

“After the illegal hit, you proceeded to engage in a brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask. After the referee announced that you were disqualified for the hit and your unsportsmanlike acts, you removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone. 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. 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.”

It’s the final paragraph that enraged the Texans.

“When you put information and make a statement in a letter with not having talked, ever talked to a player, not knowing the player, and then to basically paint a picture ‘Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,’” Caserio said. “So, that essentially implies that Azeez doesn’t give a crap about the fans, doesn’t give a crap about playing football the right way, is not coachable. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Caserio referenced how Branch was ejected the week before the Lions’ game against the Texans and not suspended as well as a one-game suspension for Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James for an illegal hit.

Last season, former Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman was suspended three games by the NFL for illegal hits and the suspension was reduced to two games following an appeal. Kareem Jackson, a former Texans safety, had his initial four-game suspension with the Denver Broncos cut down to two games. He was later suspended for four games that season and the suspension was upheld.

“I would say one of the biggest issues that-- and I probably speak for a lot of teams, not only the Houston Texans -- but I think that’s all teams ask for is consistency from the league,” Caserio said. “I would say in this situation -- I mean, quite frankly, there’s no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that’s been handed down. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Everybody’s going to have an opinion. I totally understand and I get that. Again, going back to what I talked about, like the level of consistency relative to discipline that’s mandated, it’s got to match up in some capacity.

“We’re trying to understand it. I speak for the Texans, but I speak for a lot of the other teams in the league as well. Everyone wants some level of consistency, some level playing field just so we have an understanding so we can apply the rules in the right way.”

Texans running back Joe Mixon spoke out against Runyan, who was known for his roughneck tactics during his playing days as a Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman. There’s a clip of him delivering a flying headbutt to an unsuspecting player.

“Is this not the same person that just suspended agent 0?” Mixon wrote. “Dude had no integrity for the game.. Does anybody else not see the hypocrisy in this… WHAT ARE WE DOING!?!?”

Retired Super Bowl MVP quarterback Tom Brady took Al-Shaair’s side during an appearance on FOX Sports noting how it’s on the quarterback to slide properly.

“If you slide, everyone can argue: Was it black and white, or was it a gray area?” Brady said. “Did you slide late, or was it unnecessary roughness? Or is it a late hit? To me, a late hit is very late. I think it’s gone to a point where everyone will label someone as a dirty player. I don’t like that one bit.”

Under NFL rules, Al-Shaair’s appeal will be heard and decided by either of the following former NFL players who are jointly appointed and paid by the NFL and NFL Players Association: Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, Kevin Mawae, or Jordy Nelson.

And the controversial tackle that struck Lawrence in the chin with the back of his helmet striking the ground hard set off an intense debate and heated conversations around the league about whether it was a dirty play and what discipline was appropriate.

Caserio referenced how New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams hit Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud late last December and wasn’t penalized or ejected

“Quinnen Williams bounced C.J.’s head off the ground last year, no penalty, no late hit, no nothing,” Caserio said. “So we’re saying like we’re okay with that hit? This just goes back to the level of consistency. You want to play a game the right way, try to take the head out of football and all that, the different tackling styles and all that, but it’s a physical game. It’s played at a high rate of speed. I think what you’re seeing on defense especially, you’re seeing high-level athletes, faster, more explosive, and contact is pretty significant. So, we all want to do it within the rules.

“Defensive players, quite frankly, they’re in a tough spot. You’re trying to make a split-second decision sometimes, and things happen. Again, you’re never trying to harm or injure a player, at least most players. I mean, some players might not give a crap. We want to play fast, physical on defense. Everything starts with swarm. It’s about running. It’s about getting as many hats to the ball. It’s about getting the ball carrier on the ground.”

Ryans defended Al-Shaair and pointed out how the onus should be on the quarterback to protect himself by sliding in time to avoid such collisions.

“With the entire Azeez situation, we stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that,” Ryans said. “Of course, unfortunate hit on the quarterback. But it’s twofold, right? I mean a lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late and they try to get an extra yard and now you’re a defender, a lot of onus is on the defender whether it’s on the sideline or whether it’s on the quarterback, you don’t know what a guy thinking. You don’t know if a guy is standing up and he’s continuing to run, you don’t know and then you get a late slide and you hit the guy.

“Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. Hope Trevor is OK, but it’s also, if we’re sliding, we have to get down. If we’re getting out of bounds, we get out of bounds and that rule is there to protect the quarterbacks and we want our quarterbacks to be safe in the league, so we just have to be safe. If we’re sliding, make sure we’re keeping our heads down. And the entire thing is Azeez, he hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts and it turns into a melee. It wasn’t our guys. It’s their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline, so that’s uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines, as well, with both teams.”

Additionally, Ryans defended Al-Shaair’s character. Ryans has known Al-Shaair since he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent six years ago.

“I talk to Azeez every day,” Ryans said. “Azeez is a great person, exceptional leader for us. And Azeez is a really good player. And he plays the game the right way. His intent is never to hurt anyone as he’s playing the game. If anybody that knows Azeez and talks to Azeez, nobody with a bigger heart than Azeez. I mean, this guy is a special guy I’ve known since 2019. A special young man, love working with him and for any picture that’s painted that Azeez is a dirty player or doing something intentional, that’s the exact opposite of what Azeez is. People who know Azeez, they know him, they know how he plays the game. Yes, he plays it fast, he plays it physical, but sometimes that physical nature gets misunderstood in today’s game.”

“Azeez, the type of guy he is, he’s just a very caring guy. He’s an intentional leader, intentional with communicating and making sure that everybody’s on the same page. He wants to know more about his players. I remember just watching him coming in, new to the team and watching how he just interacted with the guys and they would walk around the field after practice and just to see his group continue to grow. That’s a great human being and love working with Azeez.”

Caserio emphasized that health and safety of the players is of paramount importance to everyone.

There’s also a competitive balance at stake. The defensive players are taught to defend every blade of grass on the field. They have a job to do, too.

“We have a lot of respect for our opponents, we have a lot of respect for other teams in this league,” Caserio said. “We want to do things the right way. I think DeMeco’s explanation about the situation from a defensive perspective, quite frankly, was spot on. It’s a tough situation. Again, it’s an unfortunate play.

“The most important thing is the health and safety of our players and I would say the health and well-being of Trevor. Hopefully, Trevor is going to be okay. To speak on Azeez’s intentionality about what he intended to do, some of the comments that have been made, quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. We’re going to support Azeez. We love everything about him. We’re glad he’s a part of this team.”

During the suspension, Al-Shaair will be isolated from the Texans’ ‘training facility at NRG Stadium.

That’s a long time for Al-Shaair to be away from his support system with the Texans.

“Another thing that no one’s really talking about, the way the suspension is designed specifically, essentially you’re saying you can’t have any contact with a player for however many weeks,” Caserio said. “So, if the league says they care about the well-being of their players, I would say in a time like this I am sure Azeez is probably going through a lot of things, like we can’t even provide support on a multitude of levels.

“So, it’s a little bit hypocritical to be able to say, ‘Yeah, we want to support the players, but you know what, organization can’t have contact with him for weeks.’ So what do you want us to do? Does he got to just go float by himself? So there’s just a lot of layers of this, and I think we’ve got to take a step back and try to absorb it and try to understand it. Again, I think the big thing from our perspective is just consistency. That was the main thing.”

Over the years, football has changed significantly. Hits that were celebrated in different eras are now illegal and lead to heavy fines and suspensions. Not everyone agrees with the changes, but the NFL wants to protect players from concussions, especially with so many diagnosed with CTE and other brain issues after they’re done playing and dying prematurely.

“The game has evolved, we all understand that,” Caserio said. “Some of us grew up at a different time, and football was played a different way. The rules are what the rules are. We try to play within the rules, try to play good, clean football. That’s how we coach it. That’s what we believe in. We never walk out on the field with the intention of trying to harm someone.

“It’s a physical sport. It’s a physical nature. Things happen during the course of games. The league has to mandate the rules and regulations however they see fit. I think the biggest issue is just the overall level of consistency and just trying to establish some level of precedent, which that’s all we’re trying to grapple with and understand.”

Al-Shaair’s teammates came to his defense, including defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. providing his perspective on what happened.

“Azeez plays fast, man, he plays physical,” Settle told KPRC 2. “He’s one of the faster linebackers. He’s not a dirty player, at all. I don’t think his intentions was to hurt him. He’s just trying to get us off the field, he’s trying to get the offense back on the field and we praise how he plays. We know he’s not intentional like that. Plays like that happen.

“I’m behind Azeez. That’s my brother. Even though it was a bad play, I’m behind him. He plays good ball. That was nothing back in the day. Obviously, the game has changed. We got to abide by the rules. I feel like we’ll do better in that situation next time. we don’t need to lose one of our stars on defense I feel like it’s a learning experience.”