Azeez Al-Shaair's hit on Trevor Lawrence, and the subsequent decision by the NFL to suspend the Texans linebacker for three games, could cost Al-Shaair more than just his three game checks for this season.
Because of default language in his contract, Al-Shaair's $9 million in guaranteed salary for the 2025 season will now automatically void due to his three-game suspension by the NFL, a source with knowledge of the contract informs CBS Sports. That is on top of the $338,233 in salary for the 2024 season he will already miss in game checks as he serves his suspension this month.
The Texans signed Al-Shaair to a three-year deal worth $34 million last offseason, and $21.5 million of that was guaranteed at signing. Because the $9 million in base salary for 2025 automatically voids, the option now exists for the Texans to release Al-Shaair after this season at no cost to the team.
This does not mean the Texans will move on from Al-Shaair before the start of next season. In fact, a Texans source said Thursday night the team has no plans on cutting him and that "he's part of our plans" moving forward. He would still be able to earn that money if and when he's on the roster next season.
Al-Shaair's contract language covers him if he is suspended for no more than "two games resulting from an on-the-field football act." The NFL initially wanted to suspend Al-Shaair for four games before settling on three, and that was upheld on appeal by an NFL-NFLPA jointly appointed officer.
The $9 million "shall immediately be deemed NULL AND VOID from the beginning and in its entirety regardless of whether or not the 2025 Guarantee had otherwise been earned according to its terms at the time of Player's Default," the contract reads. As a source put it, Houston couldn't use its own discretion and reverse the void.
The majority of teams across the league have certain carve outs for on-field suspensions. Those can range from one game to three games for on-field suspensions.
Al-Shaair issued a public apology to Lawrence the morning after the play, and Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said this week Lawrence remains in concussion protocol.
Shortly after his suspension was upheld last week, Al-Shaair posted a photo of The Joker, among other images, with the caption; "If you want me to be your villain, I'll be your villain."
Before the suspension was upheld, Texans GM Nick Caserio ripped the NFL for what he deemed inconsistency in its suspension of Al-Shaair, calling the decision unfair to the player and the team.
"There's not a more selfless individual more about the team who's earned the respect, that represents everything that we want the program to be about. I mean this morning, he was at a United Way event. So we're talking about some of the commentary that has been made about his character, about the person that he is, about what his intentions are from people that quite frankly don't know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair," Caserio said. "And for the league to make some of the commentary that they made about lack of sportsmanship, lack of coachability, lack of paying attention to the rules - quite frankly it's embarrassing. And we're talking about a player who's never been suspended [and] never been ejected."
