Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair fined $17,389 by NFL for unflagged hit on ‘defenseless’ Broncos runner J.K. Dobbins

HOUSTON – Texans veteran linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair remains in the crosshairs of the NFL fine police.

Al-Shaair, suspended for three games for a concussion-causing hit last year against sliding Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, was fined $17,389 by the league office for an unflagged hit on Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins last Sunday.

Although there was no penalty, the NFL fined Al-Shaair for unnecessary roughness for a hit on a ‘defenseless player." Dobbins wasn’t injured on the play. Al-Shaair delivered a hard shoulder tackle that didn’t make contact with Dobbins’ head, blasting him for a loss of two yards.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson was fined $5,949 for taunting.

A year ago, Al-Shaair was involved in a major controversy and unwanted scrutiny. His diving forearm tackle on Lawrence injured him and set off a brawl. He was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, suspended for three games and became the recipient of harsh words in a disciplinary letter from NFL executive Jon Runyan, who, ironically, was once known as one of the dirtiest players in the league as a Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle.

Al-Shaair described his state of mind as being “in a dark place,” sitting in a room by himself for five days. When his appeal of the suspension was denied, he posted a photograph of the Joker character portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix with a caption saying he would embrace being a villain.

Al-Shaair, a devout Muslim, is a frequent subject of hate speech and racist comments on social media.

For Al-Shaair, it’s about his actions, not words. As for those that have a negative perception of him and don’t like him and prejudge his reputation, Al-Shaair insists that’s not his problem. It’s theirs.

“The only thing I’m gonna let talk are these shoulder pads right here,” Al-Shaair said while touching each shoulder with his hands before the first game against the Jaguars this year. “I don’t got to say much. It’s not really up to me to try to take somebody to understand who I am. If you know me and you’re blessed to be around me, then you know who I am. If you’re not, then I’ll just pray for you.”

Since his isolation from the defending AFC South champions last year, Al-Shaair, a team captain, has moved past that difficult time in his career.

A former undrafted free agent from Florida Atlantic who experienced homelessness with his family growing up in Tampa, Fla., Al-Shaair earned a three-year, $34 million contract two years ago to reunite with Texans coach DeMeco Ryans from their time together with the San Francisco 49ers.

Al-Shaair is the Texans’ defensive signal caller, relaying the plays from Ryans, the architect of a proud defense.

“I’ve gotten all type of crazy stuff since that day,” Al-Shaair said. “I still get it to this day from people just in general. I don’t know if they’re fans of football or they just hate me. Either way, that’s between them and God. I have no clue.”

Although Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence, he was still suspended by the NFL. His appeal was denied. And he was called a player who “lacked sportsmanship and respect for the game” in a letter from Runyan. Al-Shaair traveled to New York to meet with him, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and executive Troy Vincent. Runyan acknowledged that the comment was referring to the fight that ensued after the hit and lacked context. Texans general manager Nick Caserio vehemently defended Al-Shaair and was as angry about the comment from Runyan as he’s ever been publicly.

The inflammatory language in a disciplinary letter from Runyan, who had a well-earned reputation as a dirty player during his days as a Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman, enraged Al-Shaair, coaches and teammates who steadfastly defended his character and integrity.

In the NFL disciplinary letter from Runyan to Al-Shaair explaining the suspension, he cited repeated violations of the rules intended to protect the health and safety of players and promote sportsmanship. Al-Shaair appealed his suspension, but it was upheld by appeals officer and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster.

The suspension cost him $112,745 per week, including $83,333 per week in salary, plus $29,411.76 in per game active roster bonuses.

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“During your game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 1, with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules,” Runyan wrote. “Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide...You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact.”

“After the illegal hit, you proceeded to engage in a brawl, which you escalated when you pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask. After the referee announced that you were disqualified for the hit and your unsportsmanlike acts, you removed your helmet and reengaged with your opponent while walking down and across the field, which started another physical confrontation near the end zone. 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.”

Al-Shaair, to this day, does feel like the league negatively impacted his reputation.

“It’s definitely a personal thing in a way because it’s about the credibility of my name, but I guess that’s more just how I attack the whole season because obviously I was a league-wide thing that they tried to make me out to be somebody that I wasn’t,” he said. “I’ve just kind of been trying to prove a point every single week of who I am,” Al-Shaair said. “I play hard, but I play the game the right way, so that’s just what I’m going to keep doing.”

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During a meeting, Al-Shaair said Runyan clarified that the letter was referencing the hit on Lawrence and the pair of altercations that ensued. Al-Shaair got into it with Jaguars offensive lineman Brandon Scherff while teammate Will Anderson Jr. was escorting him off the field. A fan threw a water bottle at Al-Shaair and hit Anderson in his helmet. That followed Jaguars tight end Evan Engram retaliating by knocking Al-Shaair down while Lawrence was lying on the ground in a “fencing” posture as he clenched his hand in a movement that signifies brain trauma.

“But the way he typed it, he said got obviously taken out of context,” Al-Shaair said. “I clearly made a mistake. The reason why he typed something which ended up being taken out of context as a mistake is because I did something that was obviously not right, me taking my helmet off and me starting another brawl wasn’t right. But everything prior to that I stand on the fact that I never tried to hurt him.”

It’s the final paragraph that enraged the Texans and Al-Shaair.

“When you put information and make a statement in a letter with not having talked, ever talked to a player, not knowing the player, and then to basically paint a picture ‘Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,’” Caserio said at the time of the suspension. “So, that essentially implies that Azeez doesn’t give a crap about the fans, doesn’t give a crap about playing football the right way, is not coachable. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Just as Al-Shaair felt judged by Runyan, he brought up the oft-replayed video of the retired offensive lineman leaping through the air to head-butt an opponent.

“I saw a play of Jon Runyan head-butting a guy through the sky,” Al-Shaair said. “That was the first play I’ve seen and I can make any assumption I want, but I don’t know him as a person. I’ve never talked to him. So, if I went and said something about him on Twitter the same way he said something about me without ever talking to me or meeting me, I would be no better. This is something we talked about in the conversation and it was, ‘I respect you.’ And I got a lot of respect for him. He had a lot of respect for me. I appreciated that transparency.”

Al-Shair acknowledged that he was wrong when he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson last season after he was surrounded on the Bears sideline following a big hit from the linebacker on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams that was unflagged and legal, but close to the sideline.

“One of the comments was, you know, ‘99.3% of the time I play the game the right way,” Al-Shaair said. “I’ll take a 99% track record. At the same time, they’re trying to keep the game safe. And I respect that. So. Plays like what happened, you know, 100% you try to avoid. I just think it’s a learning moment for me.”

The deeply religious Florida native wrote on social media last year: “There is beauty in being rejected. Misunderstood. Unseen and unprotected by people. It teaches you to rely on Allah for everything.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com