Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Trevor Lawrence was something every defensive player knows not to do, fumed Michael Strahan after the Houston Texans linebacker’s vicious tackle sparked fury on Sunday.
During the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ 23-20 defeat to the Texans, Lawrence was left laying motionless on the turf after being wiped out by Al-Shaair, who slammed into the quarterback with his elbow after he’d already slid to give himself up on the play.
The brutal hit sparked a bench-clearing brawl between both teams as furious Jaguars stars made their anger known, before the Texans defender was swiftly ejected from the game.
Despite being carted off the field, Lawrence reassured fans on Sunday night that he is recovering well at home.
Yet Strahan still joined many other football fans and analysts in condemning Al-Shaair, stressing that the ‘unnecessary’ hit broke the unwritten code of conduct for defenders.
‘I think he threw himself out the game,’ the Fox Sports analyst said on Sunday.
Michael Strahan was one of many left fuming with Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Trevor Lawrence
‘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.’
Strahan then added: ‘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].’
His Fox Sports colleague Rob Gronkowski echoed that opinion, while claiming Al-Shaair would have been having ‘second thoughts’ about the hit in the locker room.
‘It’s clear and obvious that Trevor Lawrence is going to slide, but Azeez Al-Shaair, he did something that he shouldn’t have done,’ Gronkowski said.
‘He’s definitely going to have second thoughts about this, sitting in the locker room, because he got ejected from the game.
Strahan stressed that every defensive player knows not to fly in the way Al-Shaair did on Sunday
Al-Shaair had to be held back by his teammates as he tried to fight Jacksonville players
Lawrence (bottom left) lay motionless on the turf as a mass brawl broke out between both teams
‘He kind of uses that elbow brace that he has, and he slingshots himself right into the Trevor Lawrence’s head and knocks him out and makes him go stiff, which you never want to see.’
Amid the outrage, Al-Shaair released a statement on Monday morning insisting that he only saw Lawrence sliding when it was ‘too late’ and that he never intended to harm him on the field.
‘I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that,’ he wrote. ‘My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play. And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it’s not personal it’s just competition! We both are trying to do the same thing which is provide for our families!
‘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. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed «late» or «unnecessary».
‘To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that. 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 villan, 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.
‘God knows my intentions and anyone who has ever been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart.’
Al-Shaair released a statement insisting that he only saw Lawrence sliding when it was ‘too late’
The Texans linebacker has also come under fire for wearing pro-Palestine cleats in the game
Following the hit on Lawrence, Al-Shaair now finds himself at the center of more controversy after eagle-eyed NFL fans spotted a ‘Free Palestine‘ message on his cleats.
The Tampa-born NFL star, who is a practicing muslim, had ‘Free’ written on the outside of his cleats in red and green Palestine colors, with messages written on the side.
On one cleat, it read: ‘Surely to Allah we belong and to him we will all return,’ while the other said: ‘At least 41,788 Palestinians killed. 10,000+ estimated to be under the rubble. 96,794 wounded.’
Taking to X, many NFL fans piled in on the player for using the sport to share his political views, with one writing: ‘Ooh now I really hate him.’
Another urged the NFL to suspend him, but others defended him and wrote: ‘Religion of peace.’
A right-wing commentator, meanwhile, has demanded fans ‘boycott the NFL’ after accusing Al-Shaair of wearing a ‘pro-terrorism message’ on his cleats.
