Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair has apologized to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence after his violent hit forced the quarterback out of Sunday’s game with a concussion.
Lawrence was back after missing two games due to injury when he scrambled to his left in the second quarter of Houston’s 23-20. He started with a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and hit the defenseless quarterback.
In an X-post on MondayAl-Shaair, who was sent off for the hit, said he only saw Lawrence slip away “it was too late” and that the incident happened “in the blink of an eye”.
“To Trevor, I would like to sincerely apologize for what ultimately happened,” Al-Shaair wrote. “We spoke before the game and I told you how great it was to see you back on the field and wished you the best. “I would never want a player to be injured by a hit I placed on him, especially when it was deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary’.”
Lawrence clenched both fists after the hit – movements consistent with the ‘fencing reaction’. which is usual after traumatic brain injury. He lay on the ground for several minutes as teammates defended him and confronted Al-Shaair.
Very worried for Lawrence when he is hit by Al-Shaair. However, NFL needs to evolve. If he slides in first, he’ll be in a vulnerable position. A simple step to the right would mean avoiding contact and achieving the goal. Al-Shair does not have to score the goal. pic.twitter.com/6Xf3OzFIM9
— Tom May (@TomMay1) December 2, 2024
Al-Shaair was ejected for “an illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessarily, in the neck and head area,” referee Land Clark said after the game. Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones was also ejected for throwing a punch during the fight.
When Al-Shaair left the field, fans booed him. Jaguars veteran guard Brandon Scherff joined in, leading to another altercation with Al-Shair. Texans teammate Will Anderson grabbed Al-Shaair and was escorting him off the field when a fan threw a water bottle, hitting Anderson in the helmet. The fan was later ejected.
Al-Shaair said he understood why the Jacksonville players came to Lawrence’s defense.
“I can understand that you support him and defend him in such a situation,” Al-Shaair wrote in his X-post.
However, he slammed reporters and others for their handling of the incident.
“To the rest of the people I was called by every name in the book [to] 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 have to prove to any of you,” he wrote. “God knows my intentions and anyone who has ever been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart.”
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Sunday it was a play that “really has nothing to do with our league,” and Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said, “That’s not what we coach.”
Last week, Al-Shaair was caught and later fined $11,255 for a late out-of-bounds hit on Titans running back Tony Pollard. He was fined earlier this year after hitting Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That happened during a scuffle that started after his hard shot at quarterback Caleb Williams on the sideline was not flagged.
Al-Shaair, a sixth-year professional, will almost certainly be fined for the hit on Lawrence and could also be suspended.
At the beginning of his post on X, Al-Shaair said he would never deliberately try to harm anyone.
“My goal is to hit you as hard as I can and then pray that you are still able to get up and play the next play,” he wrote. “And when the game is over, go home to your family unscathed, because it’s not personal, it’s just competition! We’re both trying to do the same thing: take care of our families!”