When the Jacskonville Jaguars faced the Houston Texans in Week 13, they were looking to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, things didn't go the way they planned. Not only did they lose to their division foes but linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair laid a vicious hit on Trevor Lawrence that knocked him out of the contests. A brawl ensued and players from both teams got into a sideline scuffle. To nobody's surprise, Al-Shaair was suspended. He's since been reinstated and has a message.
Following his reinstatement, the Texans linebacker told reporters that he was in a dark place during his suspension.
"It was tough, for sure. I think the whole incident and everything that happened speaks for itself, pretty much spoken at multiple times, my statements and stuff like that," Al-Shaair told the press corps. "But just, I think obviously the letter, the language that was using it, and kind of the misconception of what my career essentially has been. It was hard, not being able to be around anybody being civil. I think this for me, I was in a really, really dark place. It was hard for me to see myself
playing
football
again."
Later in the exchange, Al-Shaair says that he now recognizes that escalating his situation was wrong and points out that his intent was never to hurt Lawrence or anyone else.
"I clearly made a mistake, he reason why he typed something which ended up being taken out of context as a mistake is because I did something that was obviously not right. Me taking my helmet off and starting another brawl, or whatever you want to call it. That wasn't right. Everything prior to that, I stand on the fact that I never tried to hurt him. It literally was a quick decision. Somebody told me, the analytics I was Trevor Lawrence's first slide all season long, which is crazy."
This is a surprise development when you take into account that right after Al-Shaair got slapped with the suspension, he didn't seem to be regretful about how things played out. Similarly, head coach Demeco Ryans didn't think his player did anything wrong, going out of his way to defend him. Below is his full exchange with the press, which lasts around 16 minutes!
Azeez Al-Shaair spoke for more than 15 minutes on his return from suspension. It is worth your time.
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) January 2, 2025
He covered a variety of topics.
Al-Shaair said he initially didn't want to talk to the NFL about the suspension but he ultimately decided to go for a variety of reasons.
He… pic.twitter.com/Rlz2war6ia
The day prior, Al-Shaair posted a message on Twitter where he echoed the same talking points. He now realizes that he completely lost it and the whole ordeal was an embarrassment for him.
— Azeez Al-shaair (@A_train2_) December 31, 2024
Lawrence suffered a concussion because of the hit and spent a couple weeks in protocol before he was cleared. At the time, he was also dealing with a shoulder sprain and underwent season-ending surgery once he left protocol.
Azeez Al-Shaair will have a target on his back when he faces the Jaguars
After spending a season with the Tennessee Titans, Azeez Al-Shaair signed a three-year deal with the Houston Texans in 2024. Based on the praise he's gotten from head coach DeMeco Ryans right after the incident and after his return, it's fair to say that he isn't going anywhere.
Based on his exchange with reporters, the linebacker looks legitimately bad about how things played out. Having said that, everyone will be watching him closely, and he will incur heavy penalties if he shows he has not changed.
The Jacksonville Jaguars already faced the Texans twice this season, so they'll need to wait until next year to play against Al-Shaair again. One thing is clear: when he visits EverBank Stadium, he won't be welcomed with a serenade and flowers.
For the time being, Trevor Lawrence and the Jags must've been pleased that Al-Shaair served a suspension and are surely thrilled to see he's feeling remorse after watching him create havoc.