Azeez Al-Shaair appears to be done apologizing for the hit that injured Trevor Lawrence.
The Houston Texans linebacker Al-Shaair officially had his suspension upheld by the NFL on Wednesday. The league had decided earlier in the week to suspend Al-Shaair multiple games for his dirty hit that concussed the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Lawrence in Week 13 (video here). A subsequent appeal of the suspension by Al-Shaair was then denied.
Al-Shaair reacted to the news with a defiant social media post later in the day on Wednesday.
“IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN!” he wrote in all-caps along with a middle-finger emoji. “SEE YOU SOON.”
Al-Shaair also included a picture of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker as well as a separate picture of a message that read, “There is beauty in being rejected, misunderstood, unseen, and unprotected by people. It teaches you to rely on Allah for everything.”
He has since deleted the post but not before screenshots were taken and circulated online.
An IG post tonight from Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, whose three-game suspension was upheld on appeal: pic.twitter.com/TN2OYBwnP0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 5, 2024
The 27-year-old Al-Shaair, who is in his sixth NFL season, had already been punished by the league for his violent actions earlier this year. While Al-Shaair issued a public apology for the hit on Lawrence, his apology also included pointed swipes at “racist and islamophobic fans and people” in apparent response to the backlash that he received. Now it seems that Al-Shaair is changing his tone entirely and delivering a message of defiance.
