Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was suspended for three games over repeated violations of player safety rules after he hit Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the head on Sunday.
Al-Shaair was ejected over the hit, which gave Lawrence a concussion. There has certainly been much made about the play and what it says about Al-Shaair. He received plenty of criticism from NFL media members over the “reckless” and “disrespectful” play. Others have said that while the outcome was unfortunate, it’s the kind of thing that’s going to happen from time to time.
Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence on Monday but also lashed out at fans and media, saying “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.”
Texans GM Nick Caserio spoke with the media Tuesday and he reiterated that while the outcome of the helmet-to-helmet hit was unfortunate, he doesn’t stand for the kind of character assassinations he sees happening around Al-Shaair.
“The picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person, quite frankly, it’s bullshit. And it’s unfair to the individual.”
Texans GM Nick Caserio with a strong defense of Azeez Al-Shaair
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“Look, it is what it is,” Caserio told reporters. “I think the big thing from our standpoint, and all teams want this, is some level of consistency. And we’ve talked to the league, quite frankly, we don’t have a good explanation.
“I’m sure Azeez is gonna go through whatever process he’s gonna go through, and then we’ll deal with it accordingly. But I think what we take umbrage [with] is the picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person. I mean, quite frankly, it’s bullsh*t. 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. He was elected a captain after being here for four months.”
Al-Shaair will appeal the suspension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.