The NFL remains inconsistent in its decision making and Houston Texans Linebackers Azeez Al-Shair is now dealing with the inconsistencies.
Al-Shair was banned for three games without pay from the league office on Tuesday about a hit he delivered against him Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence That knocked the quarterback unconscious and led to an altercation on the field.
Al-Shair, who plans to appeal the suspension to the NFLPA, was sent off in the second quarter for an “illegal hit on a defenseless player.”
“The video shows you hitting the head/neck area of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly falls to the ground in a feet-first slide,” wrote Jon Runyon, NFL vice president of football operations and a former player Houston Oilers. “You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a powerful blow to your opponent in the head/neck area, even though you had time and space to avoid such contact.
“After the illegal hit, a fight ensued which escalated when an opponent was pulled to the ground by his face mask.”
The nfl is suspending Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair for three games for the hit he delivered on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence on Sunday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence for the hit and to his teammates for his behavior after the ejection. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans defended the sixth-year linebacker, saying it was the Jaguars players who started the brawl by shoving Al-Shaair after the hit.
“Azeez hits the guy, but his sideline overreacts and a scuffle ensues,” Ryans said. “It wasn’t our guys. Your team overreacted. Pushed our guy and dragged him to the sideline. This is inappropriate on this site. We also have to get better on the sidelines.”
If Al-Shair's suspension is upheld, Houston (8-5) will not see the return of one of its stars until the season finale against the Titans. Of course, Texans fans are angry about the nfl's snap judgment, which has no clear construct as to what is legal or excessive.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio criticizes the league for its hypocrisy and inconsistency in disciplining players for hits like Azeez Al-Shaair
Caserio also expressed outrage at how Azeez was portrayed as a person, saying, “Honestly, this is bullshit.”
Nick cooked
– Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter)
GM Nick Caserio said the “picture” painted by Azeez was wrong and that the NFL lacked consistency in its discipline. He said there had been ejections of other players which did not result in this penalty.
Caserio is FIRE about this!
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots)
This hit was malicious and has no place in our game…
But the NFL needs to get the “armed quarterback slide” out of the game.
As dangerous as hitting a quarterback is when the quarterback decides to slide, we must stop allowing quarterbacks to fake a slide or a late slide…
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73)
