Azeez Al-Shaair has upset fans in the NFL for two different reasons.
The Houston Texans linebacker was put under the microscope on Sunday as his second-quarter hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence knocked the quarterback unconscious and out of the game.
The hit sparked a brawl and led to the ejections of Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones.
That was just the first part of Al-Shaair’s day that upset fans.
The linebacker participated in the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign, choosing the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, which he did in 2023.
Al-Shaair had “Free” written on one side of his shoes in the colors of the Palestinian flag.
One shoe said, “Surely to Allah we belong, and to him we will all return.”
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On the side of his other shoe, it had the number of Palestinians reportedly killed and wounded in its war with Israel.
Here is how fans reacted to Azeez Al-Shaair’s cleats:
One fan said, “ooh now I really hate him.”
“Does someone want to tell him THERES NO SUCH PLACE AS Palestine,” another fan claimed.
“support terrorists, play like a terrorist!,” one guy stated.
“Figures. He tried to decapitate Trevor Lawrence,” another person said in the comment section.
A final fan demanded that he be kicked out of the league, stating, “The t*rrorist needs to be banned from the league.”
DeMeco Ryans Denounces Hit That Azeez Al-Shaair Delivered On Trevor Lawrence
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is public enemy number one after he hit Trevor Lawrence late and in the head as the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback was trying to slide in the first half of the Texans vs. Jaguars game on Sunday.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has now had to speak about a cheap shot involving him for the second time this year.
Al-Shaair’s illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence on Sunday left the Jaguars quarterback with a concussion.
After the game, Ryans said, “It’s unfortunate with the hit with Azeez.”
“That’s not what we’re coaching. We want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team. We just have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. It’s an unfortunate play. It’s not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player and really a great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there, his loss really affected us on the defensive side.
Ryans made it clear that he was not thrilled with what Azeez Al-Shaair did on the field and what led to a brawl afterward.
“It’s not what we’re coaching. I didn’t want to see the melee and all of the aftermath. It’s not what we’re about. It’s not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.”
