The Jacksonville Jaguars' season was already over, but Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair managed to take things from bad to worse after concussing franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence during Jacksonville's Week 14 defeat against their division rivals. What happened in that game, quite frankly, was a huge disgrace.
With Lawrence clearly sliding down after a quick scramble, Al-Shaair launched himself into Lawrence, knocking him out of the game and starting a massive fight after Jaguars players defended their quarterback. Al-Shaair was ejected from the game, which led to fans throwing objects at him when he was being escorted out of the stadium.
Al-Shaair, who could earn himself a suspension due to a history of playing just over the edge of acceptable aggression, needed to apologize after such a blatant cheap shot. He did, though it came via a Notes app post on social media that won't satisfy a fanbase that may have lost their quarterback for the 2024 season.
Al-Shaair said that he wants to "genuinely apologize" to Lawrence for injuring him in that manner and commended his teammates for supporting their fallen teammate. While he might be saying many of the right things, his play on the field and the consequences of his actions will make it tough to forgive for Jags fans.
Azeez Al-Shaair finally apologizes to Trevor Lawrence after concussing Jaguars quarterback
Between Al-Shaair putting his hands on Tom Brady's neck during his time in San Francisco, punching Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline, and hitting Josh Allen in a dirty manner earlier in the season, this incident is not a one-off play in which Al-Shaair made a mistake. This is a pattern.
The one silver lining for Jags fans is that Al-Shaair will likely be suspended for some portion of a run of three games against teams like Miami, Kansas City, and Baltimore. Even if Houston wins the AFC South, this will impact playoff positioning. The Jaguars, meanwhile, will limp to the finish line without Lawrence.
The Jags are 2-10 on the season. Even with two games against the equally poor Titans and the discombobulated Jets to end the season, Mac Jones under center makes it tough for them to compete. If they win a few games, they could find themselves out of the Travis Hunter sweepstakes.
The Jags' season is over, and Al-Shaair saying "I'm sorry, but also tough luck" in a Notes app apology is not going to un-concuss Lawrence. For the rest of his Texans tenure, Al-Shaair will be a villain in Jacksonville.