The NFL on Tuesday announced a three-game suspension for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
NFL VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan offered a strongly worded statement directed toward Al-Shaair, who hit a sliding Trevor Lawrence late and high in the Texans' 23-20 victory on Sunday—sparking a brawl.
"Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL. Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated."
The punishment comes amid pretty significant public outcry for consequences. And while it's not easy to find many people, Texans included, to defend the action of the hit, there have been some voices standing up for Al-Shaair the person as the storm rages around him.
Houston general manager Nick Caserio gave forceful pushback on the negative narrative now surrounding Al-Shaair while speaking to reporters.
Strong words from Texans GM Nick Caserio on the suspension of LB Azeez Al-Shaair:
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) December 3, 2024
“The picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person— quite frankly, it’s bullshit.” pic.twitter.com/89XWZ7mIHp
"Where we take umbrage is, the picture that's been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person," Caserio said. "Quite frankly it's bullsh-- and it's unfair to the individual. It's unfair to the organization. We love everything about Azeez Al-Shaair, what he means to this team, what he brings to this team. He was elected a captain after being here for four months."
This is exactly what a general manager would be expected to do for a player who has been at the center of a firestorm, even if the flames were sparked by their own avoidable actions. A three-game suspension is extremely punitive and losing a player of his caliber will make the Texans' quest to shore up their playoff positioning even more difficult. The ruling also presents an opportunity for everyone to move on as the party with jurisdiction has acted and the rest is all noise. We'll see how quickly that either happens or if the picture being painted continues to not sit well with those in the Texans organization.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Texans GM Gives Blunt, Explicit Reaction to Azeez Al-Shaair Situation.
