Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been called out by Michael Strahan for a late hit that left Trevor Lawrence sprawled out on the turf.
Leading with his forearm, Al-Shaair hit Lawrence in the head as the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback slid at the end of a six-yard scramble late in the first half on Sunday.
The incident sparked a mass brawl between the two sets of players, and let to the linebacker being ejected from the game, while Lawrence was carted off the field.
NFL fans and pundits alike were left furious by Al-Shaair’s illegal hit, with many condemning his actions.
Strahan, who was an analyst for Fox Sports’ coverage of the game, suggested the 27-year-old showed a lack of respect for his opponent.
“I think he threw himself out the game,” Strahan said on Sunday.
“I personally think he did that because he realized if he had stayed in the game, he was not going to be protected.
“What he did – everybody knows as a defensive player – you don’t do that.
“You hate to see that happen to (Lawrence) on something that’s just so unnecessary, because regardless of offense and defense and how you feel, you do protect your play. You protect your guys.
“We have a lot of respect for each other out there on the field, even when you’re competing. That was uncalled for.”
Lawrence, who was making his return to action on Sunday after missing two games because of a left shoulder injury, suffered a concussion from Al-Shaair’s hit.
His injury is the latest setback in a disappointing 2024, and after a 23-20 loss to the Texans, the Jags are now 2-10 and will be eliminated from playoff contention if they suffer one more defeat this season.
With Lawrence now in concussion protocol and not much left to play for, Jacksonville could choose to shut down their franchise QB for the rest of the season to avoid him sustaining any further injuries.
Amid the outrage over Al-Shaair’s hit, which continued into Monday, the linebacker released a statement insisting that he didn’t go out to harm Lawrence.
“I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intent to harm anyone,” he wrote.
“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.”
Al-Shaair also responded to the criticism he has received on social media over the last 24 hours.
“To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that,” he continued.
“To the rest of the people who l’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.”
After being ejected for the illegal hit, Al-Shaair will receive a fine and could also be suspended by the NFL.
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