By Tuesday of an NFL team’s bye week, things are supposed to have quieted down to near silence, with players being out of the building, and coaches and front office people getting to breathe for a bit. The Texans bye week began following their 23-20 win over Jacksonville on Sunday, but thanks to the fallout of this hit on Trevor Lawrence from linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, it’s been anything but quiet this week over on Kirby:
The fear for Texans fans since Sunday has been the likelihood that Al-Shaair, the emotional heart and soul of the team’s defense, would be suspended for some amount of time. Tuesday morning, the worst of those fears were confirmed, when league VP Jon Runyan handed down a three game suspension to Al-Shaair. Here is an excerpt from the letter explaining Runyan’s decision:
So there you have it. Not only is Azeez Al-Shaair slated to miss the most important and taxing three game stretch of the season — home game against Miami, road game in Kansas City, and a Christmas Day home game against the Ravens, all within 11 days — but he is really having his character attacked by the league. It should be noted that not one Jacksonville Jaguars player even received a fine for their role in the subsequent melees after the initial hit, so this entire scene is being put on the shoulders of Al-Shaair.
In the building, people with the Texans organization are furious over the way Al-Shaair is being portrayed, as a Jack Tatum-like villain who is a blight on the game of football. At his bye week press conference on Tuesday morning, Nick Caserio went to great lengths to express his disgust with the league’s framing of Al-Shaair and this incident:
Al-Shaair can appeal Runyan’s decision to try to get the suspension reduced from three games. It should be noted that inside linebacker Denzel Perryman, the Texans starting middle linebacker in 2023, was suspended for three games in the middle of last season for repeated rules violations, and he was able to appeal the verdict down to two games.
Regardless, even if it’s only two games, this is a blow to the Texans’ defense. Al-Shaair missed a couple games earlier this season with a knee injury, and Neville Hewitt filled in admirably, but Hewitt isn’t nearly the sideline to sideline athlete that Al-Shaair is. The Texans’ opponents in the upcoming three games all have high level offenses with tons of speed. Al-Shaair will be missed.
Until we hear otherwise, we won’t see Al-Shaair on the field gain until the regular season finale in Nashville against the Titans. The suspension is just the latest landmine the Texans will need to navigate in what’s become a roller coaster of a season.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
