Houston Texans linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair made a controversial play during their Monday night showdown against the Seattle Seahawks. In the final moments of the first quarter of the game, he chased down quarterback Sam Darnold near the sideline.
After tackling the Seahawks quarterback and pushing him out of bounds, Azeez Al-Shair did not let go of Darnold. Instead, he put his full body weight over him and drove him into the ground. The officials penalized the Texans for 15 yards for unnecessary roughness in this play.
However, this was not enough to satisfy the rage NFL fans had over Shaair’s actions. They demanded stricter actions by the league and wanted the linebacker banned from professional football.
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“Ban his from the league,” one fan commented.
@_MLFootball Ban him from the league.
“Azeez Al-Shaair #0 is a dirty player. He cost the team every year. Get rid of this chump,” another fan said.
@HoustonTexans azeez al-shaair # 0 is a dirty player. He cost the team every year. Get rid of this chump.
“Cut Azeez Al-Shaair,” this fan wrote.
@HoustonTexans Cut Azeez Al-Shaair
“Al-Shaair is such a cheap shot artist pos. Glad that penalty cost his team points,” another fan stated.
Al-Shaair is such a cheap shot artist pos. Glad that penalty cost his team points
“@NFL what are you going to do with Azeez Al-Shaair? Another slap on the wrist? You better look into this guy- it’s not a good look,” this fan commented.
@NFL what are you going to do with Azeez Al-Shaair? Another slap on the wrist? You better look into this guy – it’s not a good look.
Following this incident, Sam Darnold found WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba with a 11-yard touchdown pass. This helped his team secure a 14-0 lead. At the halftime mark, the Texans managed to minimize the deficit to 14-6 thanks to two field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn.
This is not the first time that Shaair has found himself in trouble for unsportsmanlike conduct. In Week 4, he hit Tennessee Titans rookie QB Cam Ward on the face. He fell to the ground while dangerously snapping his head. The Texans linebacker was fined $17,389 for his actions by the league.
Sports broadcaster Andrew Siciliano calls out Azeez Al-Shaair’s foul play against the Seattle Seahawks
After Shaair and the Texans were penalized for roughing up Sam Darnold, Andrew Siciliano shared his thoughts on the situation.
In a tweet he shared on X, the sports broadcaster stated that the Texans linebackers will face the consequences of his actions after the game and might receive another fine by the league.
“Azeez Al-Shaair was fined a few weeks ago for a hit on Cam Ward. He has a history. There may be another letter for that one on Sam Darnold,” Siciliano tweeted.
Azeez Al-Shaair was fined a few weeks ago for a hit on Cam Ward. He has a history. There may be another letter for that one on Sam Darnold.
Last year, Shaair was suspended for three games by the league after his illegal tackle on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Will the NFL decided to impose another suspension on him following his unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 7?