Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was penalized yet again for unnecessary roughness on Monday night, and he is now facing another potential suspension because of his history.
Al-Shaair was flagged for a late hit out of bounds on quarterback Sam Darnold late in the first quarter of the Seattle Seahawks’ 27-19 win over the Texans at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. The Texans appeared to hold the Seahawks to a field goal attempt after Darnold picked up just a few yards on a 3rd-and-11 scramble, but Al-Shaair’s penalty added 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Al-Shaair had made a nice play to wrap Darnold up and drive the quarterback out of bounds, but he made the mistake of not letting up. Even with Darnold clearly out of bounds, Al-Shaair finished the tackle by driving Darnold into the turf.
Azeez Al-Shaair is such a dirty player
— Benchwarmer Sports (@bdubsports_) October 21, 2025
Darnold is out of bounce and Al-Shaair tries to end him
Why is he still in the league bro?#HOUvsSEA pic.twitter.com/DnCHhwfMyS
The penalty was costly for Houston, as the Seahawks went on to score a touchdown on the drive and take an early 14-0 lead. It will likely be costly for Al-Shaair as well.
While the late hit was not overly egregious, Al-Shaair has a long history of being fined and suspended for cheap shots. He was fined $17,389 for roughing the passer in Houston’s Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans. Al-Shaair was fined $20,555 for an illegal hit with the crown of his helmet during the Texans’ first-round playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers last season.
The illegal hit in the playoffs came less than two weeks after Al-Shaair was suspended three games for a hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He had served two separate four-game suspensions prior to that for dirty plays and helmet-to-helmet hits.
In total, Al-Shaair has been flagged for illegal hits more than a dozen times. He has been fined on numerous occasions. The 28-year-old will almost certainly be fined for his late hit on Darnold, and a suspension is not out of the question.
