Topline
The NFL linebacker who delivered what teammates have called a “dirty hit” to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday has apologized for giving the 25-year-old a concussion—but called out “racist and Islamophobic” attacks he’s received since the play.
Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans on Dec. 1, 2024.
Key Facts
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been attacked online since he illegally hit Lawrence with a forearm to the facemask while the quarterback was sliding following a 6-yard run, slamming his head into the ground (tackles aren’t allowed after a quarterback’s slide has begun, and direct hits to the head are also against NFL rules).
Al-Shaair was ejected for “an illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessary, to the neck and head area,” referee Land Clark said, and Al-Shaair had to be escorted off the field after a fight broke out on the sidelines between players (Jaguars rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones was also ejected after the fight).
As Al-Shaair walked off the field, he can be seen on video talking to Jaguars fans, who then threw objects and trash at him, The Athletic reported.
After the hit, Lawrence was down on the field for several minutes before eventually being taken off the field on a cart and could be seen clenching both of his fists in what appeared to be a “fencing response,” an involuntary reaction to sustaining a traumatic brain injury, which happens in over 50% of TBI cases in athletes, Dr. Dennis Cardone told TODAY.
Monday morning, Al-Shaair posted a lengthy apology in which he said he “genuinely didn’t see (Lawrence) sliding until it was too late,” said he understood why other Jaguars players felt the need to defend their teammate and lambasted how he has been treated since the game.
He said has “been called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain” and has been criticized by “racist and Islamophobic fans and people.”
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters the play by Al-Shaair is “not what we coach” and that the play is “not representative of who Azeez is,” adding he’s a “smart player and great leader.”
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is taken off the field on a cart.
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Crucial Quote
“It’s a play that has no business in our league,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game.
Big Number
$275 million. That’s how much Lawrence’s five-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars is worth. Sunday was his return to the field after missing two games due to a shoulder injury, and the team is considering benching him for the rest of the season to avoid further injury, according to ESPN (the team is 2-10 and one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention).
Key Background
The NFL has instituted a flurry of new rules in recent years meant to protect quarterbacks from unnecessary injuries, particularly head injuries. Tacklers aren’t allowed to hit quarterbacks below the knees or after the ball has been released, they can’t land on top of the quarterback and defenders aren’t allowed to hit a QB who slides or gives up at the end of a running play. The NFL also instituted an emergency third quarterback rule that allows teams to have an extra QB available in case both active quarterbacks are injured. Injuries to QBs skyrocketed at the start of last season, with the number of starting QBs who missed games due to injuries up 30% over the 2021 and 2022 seasons in the first 13 weeks.
Tangent
Traumatic brain injuries have been a cause of concern in the NFL for decades. The NFL reported 219 concussions in 2023, up from 213 in 2022. Numbers are lower than they were a few years ago, according to The Athletic, but have remained relatively stagnant despite increases in protections and reporting protocols. Repeated concussions have been linked to mental health issues, cognitive impairment, persistent headaches and neurodegenerative diseases in former NFL players. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, 57, this year said he’s been diagnosed with the degenerative nervous system disease Parkinson’s and implied the concussions he obtained during his sports career could be linked to the diagnosis. He was formally diagnosed with three or four concussions, but has said he believed it possible he’d had hundreds or thousands go unnoticed. Lawrence has been diagnosed with two concussions since joining the Jaguars and at least one other since his college career.
