NFL needs to suspend Azeez Al-Shaair for dirty hit on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

Week 13 had no shortage of headlines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars. Left tackle Walker Little got a three-year deal, and Trevor Lawrence made his triumphant return to the gridiron after a two-week absence. Unfortunately, both news were overshadowed by a dirty blow Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair laid on No. 16.

Following the cheap shot, a scuffle ensued on the Jags sideline. Several players were ejected as a result and the NFL must take action into its own hands and suspend Al-Shaair. He deserves it.

Late in the second quarter of the Week 13 divisional matchup, Lawrence scrambled and slid to show he was down. Al-Shaair didn't care and still hit him. Rightly, Jaguars right guard Brandon Scherff stood up for his quarterback.

Fans also showed their disapproval by throwing stuff at Al-Shaair.

After the hit, Lawrence remained on the ground for a bit before being carted off the field. He was ruled out with a concussion not long after.

Following the scuffle, Al-Shaair, along with tight end Evan Engram, and cornerback Jarrian Jones got ejected. What's infuriating is that the Texans linebacker acted as if he was the victim and not the one at fault, as Twitter user Kendra Middleton pointed out.

The hit earned Al-Shaair widespread scorn from fans and analysts across the NFL community. Former Steelers safety and talking head Ryan Clark held no punches when calling out Al-Shaair, pointing out that he didn't have to dive over Lawrence's head.

John McClain, a reporter who's covered the Texans since they were the Houston Oilers, called Al-Shaair's hit the dirtiest he's ever seen in his journalism career. You know it was a dirty shot when a Pro Football Hall-of-Fame voter says as much.

Heck, even Al-Shaair's teammates believe he crossed the line.

As you can see, the reaction following Al-Shaair's hit hasn't been positive. This begs the question, what kind of punishment should the league lay on him?

The NFL must suspend Azeez Al-Shaair after the hit on Trevor Lawrence

Of course, analysts and fans don't dictate how the NFL operates. Otherwise, you would see the league fix plenty of the egregious calls that are made week in and week out. That said, Azeez Al-Shaair deserves to be suspended, preferably for the remainder of the season. Leaving aside that he went after a defenseless player, he's a repeated offender.

As insider Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports noted, this isn't the first time that he laid a late hit on a quarterback this season. Back in Week 2, he was responsible for a cheap shot on rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams.

However you look at it, Al-Shaair's actions are inexcusable. It's understandable that players want to play until the whistle blows, but he went too far. Think about it, what was the benefit of taking an oposing player out of the game? Sure, they're rivals, but there's no excuse for showing that kind of disrespect toward the game and opponents.

The bottom line is that there's no place for Al-Shaair's behavior, and the NFL must act swiftly.

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