Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair took to social media on Monday to address the brutal hit he delivered that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of Sunday’s game.
Al-Shaair was flagged for unnecessary roughness and ejected after he delivered a blow to Lawrence’s head and neck area as Lawrence went into a slide on a scramble play. Jaguars players came to the quarterback’s defense, which led to a fight between both teams. You can see the video here.
Al-Shaair addressed the play on Monday morning with a statement he issued via X. He apologized to Lawrence and said he would never intentionally injure an opponent.
“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,” Al-Shaair wrote. “My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up to 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 I’ve been called every single name in the book from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, 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.”
Lawrence showed obvious signs of a concussion after the hit from Al-Shaair. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game almost immediately. Fortunately, he provided an encouraging update on his health a few hours afterward.
Whether Al-Shaair intended to hurt Lawrence or not, most people agree the hit was dirty. The NFL might also treat him as a repeat offender after he was fined for throwing a punch on the sideline earlier this season.
