In a game that seemed strange at the start of halftime, a play shortly after halftime woke up fans across the NFL world.
The secured a about the On Sunday afternoon, however, it was just a side note in the scuffle between the two sidelines over a goal.
Texans linebacker drilled Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence late trying to get the first down. As Lawrence slipped feet first, Al-Shair lunged at him and struck him in the head with his forearm.
While Lawrence appeared to be unconscious, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram came into play to the ground in retaliation. Several other players from both sides got involved as the swarm moved toward Jacksonville.
DeMeco Ryans on Azeez Al-Shair's hit against Trevor Lawrence:
“It's unfortunate. That’s not what we train.”
He also added that this game does not reflect who Al-Shair is as a player or as a person:
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV)
Things got so out of hand that Texans coach DeMeco Ryans came across the field to grab Al-Shaair himself and try to calm the veteran defender down. Lawrence, who returned Sunday for the first time since Week 9, was transported with a head injury and left.
“That’s not what we coach,” Ryans told reporters after the game. “We want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team and (not get) a penalty there. “We just have to be smarter when the quarterback goes down.”
Really noble move by who ended his news conference with thoughts on Trevor Lawrence: “Prayers to Trevor. I really hope and pray that he is well and also pray for his family. I still rock with Azeez (Al-Shaair). I don't think that was his intention. I pray Trevor is okay.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_)
Al-Shair, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones, were ejected from the game because of their roles in the aftermath. Even after the decision was final, Al-Shair continued to chat with the Jaguars players as he made his way to the locker room.
Finally, linebacker Henry To'oTo'o, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and running back Joe Mixon made sure the situation didn't continue.
“Just an unfortunate game that is not representative of who Azeez is,” Ryans said. “Azeez is a smart player, a really great leader for us. We felt that he wasn’t there, his loss, that really affected us defensively.”
NEW ANGLE by Azeez Al-Shaair with the DIRTIEST hit of the season defeating Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence was taken out of the game
— MPR (@mprmotivation)
To'oTo'o told reporters that Jacksonville's players were trying to defend their quarterback, so they had to fight for their linebacker. Quarterback CJ Stroud expressed his support for Al-Shaair and offered his condolences to Lawrence for a speedy recovery.
“I still rock with Azeez,” Stroud said. “I don’t think that was his intention. I pray that Trevor is well and that his family is with him.”
Houston won't know whether Al-Shair will be suspended until after the bye week, but Ryans said the team will personally inform the linebacker of the incident and “move on from it.”
“That’s not what we train for,” Ryans said. “I didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath, that’s not what we’re about, it’s not representative of us.”
