Lawrence also underwent surgery just ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft
By Jackson Thompson Fox News – Published December 4, 2024 8:45pm EST – Fox
My cmnt: The obvious answer here (and therefore it will take the Libs of NFL forever to see it) is that if you’re going to slide then you have to do the Fair-Catch signal or you’re fair game to get slammed. Same with pretending to run out-of-bounds (Mahomes is the biggest offender here). You act like you’re going out of bounds and then don’t, it’s a ten yard penalty. Also the slide needs to be standardized. You can only slide one way and you’re down where you‘re knee touches the ground. Dive head first or stretching the ball out to get extra yards and you’re fair game to get slammed.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will require surgery to repair an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, according to NFL.com.
Lawrence initially injured his shoulder in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles and missed two games before returning Sunday against the Houston Texans. He was the victim of an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that landed him on season-ending injured reserve.
The hit incited a brief but intense melee between the two teams after Al-Shaair was flagged on the play and later dealt a three-game suspension without pay.
Lawrence’s fourth NFL season ended after a disappointing 2-10 start. It’s the second year in a row Lawrence has injured his shoulder.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) leaves the field on a cart after getting injured on a late hit by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair during the first half of a game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Last season, he sustained a shoulder injury in a 30–12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. He missed the team’s next game, the first he had missed in his career due to injury. He had only missed games in college at Clemson when he tested positive for COVID in 2020.
Lawrence, who signed a $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars in the offseason, will undergo the second major surgery of his life. He previously had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder before he was drafted first overall in 2021.
The hit has become one of the most controversial moments of the 2024 NFL season, prompting backlash against Al-Shaair and sparking conversations about player safety among current and former players like Tom Brady and Stephon Gilmore.
Al-Shaair has apologized for the hit and insisted it wasn’t intentional. The linebacker appealed his suspension, but the NFL upheld it.
Al-Shaair also spoke out against “racist and Islamophobic fans” in the aftermath of the public response to the incident.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) makes a late hit during the second quarter Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. 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,” he said in a statement. “And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it’s not personal! It’s just competition. We both are trying to do the same thing which is provide for our families!
“I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happens 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 fined earlier this year after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline during a Week 2 game. The incident occurred during a scuffle that started after Al-Shaair’s hard shot on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline wasn’t flagged.
The hit against Lawrence Sunday resulted in multiple Jaguars players pouncing on Al-Shaair in retaliation, leading to the violent melee.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player seen pushing and shoving Al-Shaair after the hit before other Jacksonville players followed.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence takes a break during the second half of a game against the Miami Dolphins Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Head coach Doug Pederson defended his team Wednesday for its response.
“We’re not out to hurt anybody. We’re not out to ruin careers. We’re out to win a football game and play hard within the rules. That’s our job. That’s how we coach it, that’s how we play it,” Pederson said at a team press conference.
“If they’re asking or suggesting we go after someone, we’re not doing that. Flat out, we are not doing that. It’s not how I coach. It’s not how I’m going to coach these teams, these players. We’re just going to go out and do our jobs. Play hard, play fast, play physical within the rules.”
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested Lawrence should share responsibility for the hit.
“We stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that,” Ryans said. “Of course, unfortunate hit on a quarterback, but it’s two-fold. 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.
“Now, you’re a defender, and a lot of onus is on the defender. … Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. We hope Trevor’s OK. But, also, if we’re sliding, you have to get down.”
Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
NFL All-Pro defender sees ‘both sides’ of Trevor Lawrence hit: ‘It’s tricky’
Azeez Al-Shaair was suspended 3 games
By Ryan Morik Fox News – Published December 4, 2024 6:21am EST – Fox
Trevor Lawrence was knocked out of Sunday’s game after taking a hit to the head by Azeez Al-Shaair.
Al-Shaair was suspended three games for the hit that was widely deemed dirty. However, the Houston Texans linebacker said he had no ill-intent, and general manager Nick Caseio called the treatment of the defender “bulls—.”
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore would not go that far, but in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, he noted that it is a difficult circumstance.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
“You never want to see someone get hit like that. It’s kind of tricky sometimes with quarterbacks running, trying to get first downs, and then sliding at the last second, I see both sides,” he said.
Gilmore seemed to agree that defenders almost never get the benefit of the doubt on those bang-bang plays that happen in the blink of an eye.
“It’s hard – some quarterbacks slide early, sometimes you try to get a first down so they get aggressive,” he said. “You don’t know when to pull back and go for the tackle, so it’s tricky.”
Gilmore’s comments echo what Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said about the ordeal, who even said the Jaguars players overreacted.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides down in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, in the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
“But it’s also – 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,” Ryans said. “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’re – 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.”
Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, said Al-Shaair’s actions after the hit, and other dirty plays, contributed to his penalty.
Players fight after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, hit Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, with a late hit during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Houston Texan Azeez Al-Shaair’s Full History of NFL Violations, Revealed
Published Dec 06, 2024 at 11:51 AM EST – Newsweek
Suspended for three games for a dirty hit on a sliding Trevor Lawrence that sent the Jaguars young quarterback to injured reserve due to a concussion that will almost certainly keep him out for the remainder of the season, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was unable to win his appeal and will be serving his punishment in full.
Some have labeled the three-game ban as excessive and even called it “ridiculous,” but the truth is it actually may have been a bit light based on Al-Shaair’s lengthy history of prior offenses.
Read more: Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence Exits Game After Brutal Hit to Head
Courtesy of ProFootballTalk, that history of offenses has been made public in its entirety for the first time. Given that there are 13 offenses dating back to 2020, only seven of which have resulted in fines, it’s fairly clear that Al-Shaair is not exactly a Boy Scout.
Fined more than $70,000 in total for “multiple offenses” for personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations in recent seasons,” Al-Shaair has had three offenses this season alone besides the dirty hit on Lawrence.
Read more: Texans GM Rips the NFL For Azeez Al-Shaair Suspension, Calls Treatment ‘Bull—-‘
“First, Al-Shaair engaged in a Week 2 sideline fight against the Bears. He was fined $11,817, and it was not appealed,” per PFT. “Second, he hit Titans running back Tony Pollard out of bounds in Week 12. The $11,255 fine is pending. Another one happened during the Jaguars game on Sunday. Al-Shaair was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, but not fined.”
Despite Al-Shaair’s history of violent violations, many players, including Tom Brady and Texans all-time great J.J. Watt have come out in support of the embattled linebacker. Add Richard Sherman, who appears on Amazon and also has a podcast, to that list.
“Well, first off, you know, thankful that Trevor is okay,” Sherman said on his podcast. “But Azeez is a really, really good guy. As pure of a football player as I’ve ever known. …You did not make it all the way to the National Football League by trying to injure people.”
In the midst of his sixth NFL season, 27-year-old Al-Shaair has started 10 games for the Texans and contributed 68 tackles, two sacks and four pass breakups. Al-Shaair won’t start or contribute anything this week as he’ll start serving his suspension. Without him, the Texans will take on the Dolphins in a must-win game for Miami.
NFL’s announcement on Azeez Al-Shaair suspension is vague
By Mike Florio Published December 3, 2024 11:29 AM – NBC sports
As expected, the NFL has imposed a three-game suspension on Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for his blatantly illegal hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Still, the statement announcing the move isn’t clear.
The NFL’s preamble to the letter from Jon Runyan to Al-Shaair mentions the player’s history of “multiple offenses for personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations in recent seasons.” The letter mentions the illegal hit, which was the focal point of the incident.
The Runyan letter also mentions Al-Shaair’s involvement in a “brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask.” It ties the ejection to “the hit [and Lawrence] and your unsportsmanlike acts.” And the letter then mentions the second altercation in which Al-Shaair engaged.
So what was he suspended for? The hit? His history? The first fight? The second one? Some of them? All of them?
The absence of any semblance of a formula creates the impression that the league makes it up as it goes, picking the punishment to fit the circumstances. Next, one of the four hearing officers will have to decide whether to uphold, scrap, or reduce the suspension.
No one knows what will happen, in large part because precedent doesn’t seem to matter. It’s all case-by-case, with no real sense that prior outcomes impact future decisions.
That makes it harder for players to know the stakes of misbehavior, and it takes the saying “f—k around and find out” to its most literal extreme.
Yes, the player will find out. Along with everyone else. Because nobody seems to really know what will happen in any of these cases until it does.
READ MORE Houston Texans
- NFL Upholds Lengthy Suspension for Texans Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair
- Texans GM Rips the NFL For Azeez Al-Shaair Suspension, Calls Treatment ‘Bull—-‘
- Texans HC DeMeco Ryans Calls Out Jaguars For Inciting Fight Following Trevor Lawrence Hit
- Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair Releases Lengthy Apology to Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence
Lord Buckbeak: "Will you come into my parlor?," said the Spider to the Fly. 