Texans Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair fined over $11k by NFL for Palestine Gesture 

posted on: Feb 11, 2026

By Jake Harris / Arab America Contributing Writer

Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 by the NFL for wearing eyeblack that had a “stop the genocide” message during the Houston Texans playoff game. Al-Shaair is a Muslim whose father lived in Saudi Arabia. He moved back and forth between his US home in Florida and Saudi Arabia growing up.

Al-Shaair’s Early Playing Career

Al-Shaair played College Football at Florida Atlantic University. He was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft but was signed as an undrafted free agent by the 49ers. It is in San Francisco where Al-Shaair made a name for himself as a player who could have solid production at the NFL level. After a one year stint in Tennessee, Al-Shaair signed his big contract with the Houston Texans in 2024.

Hit on Trevor Lawrence

The first major moment of controversy for Al-Shaair is a hit he layed on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in a regular season game. Lawrence was in the process of giving himself up by sliding on a run play, when Al-Shaair landed heavy on Lawrence in the head/neck area while going for the tackle. The rule in the NFL is now that when a quarterback runs, he can slide to give himself up to avoid getting lit up by an incoming defender. It is a measure of protecting the stars of the league playing the most valuable position. It was also done by the league in wake of the growing awareness of the connection between Football and head injuries in general.

The immediate social media reaction is that the hit was totally out of order and late. He might’ve received the benefit of the doubt if the public was on the side that Lawrence slid too late. Al-Shaair apologized for the hit on Lawrence the next day. The NFL suspended him for three games. Al-Shaair had a solid season as a part of the Texans elite defensive unit in the 2025 season. The Texans defense, was considered to be the best defense in the NFL.

The NFL’s Complicated History with Player Activism

When it comes to player activism, the NFL has a complicated history. When 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the playing of the national anthem to protest police brutality against Black Americans, the NFL had a major public relations crisis. There was a major firestorm of debate that resulted from the actions, with mainly conservative Americans threatening to boycott the league, others defended the actions as Kaepernick taking a brave stand knowing he would get immense backlash, asserting his 1st Amendment rights.

Kaepernick’s release from the team and failure to be signed by any team to this day is seen by Kaepernick and supporters as an attempt from the NFL to blackball the player. Kaepernick sued the league for collusion. His legal team alleged that owners collaborated with each other to make sure no team signed Kaepernick. Even players with a smaller career resume found homes on other teams. The league and Kaepernick settled the lawsuit. 

Following the murder of George Floyd, the NFL made a campaign encouraging players to speak out on social justice issues. Commissioner Roger Goodell conceded that “we were wrong” for not listening more to players earlier on social issues. Goodell reiterated the league’s support for the Black Lives Matter campaign. 

My Cause, My Cleats

Azeez Al-Shaair participated in the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats program. This is an initiative allowing players to create customized game cleats showcasing a cause they care deeply about. Al-Shaair wore cleats that were colored and designed in support of Palestine. The cleats on one side have the word “FREE” colored in green and red, colors on the Palestine flag. The other side of the cleats have the death toll in Gaza that was estimated at the time, with an estimate of those under the rubble. The number of injured is also displayed on the cleats

Public Reaction to Fine

Despite Al-Shaair being allowed to speak out in the context of the cleat design, he was fined for the eyeblack gesture, as the NFL does not allow personal messages in general. Al-Shaair said after the fact that he knew he was gonna get fined for the message. 

The Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) spoke out in support of Al-Shaair. Husain Abdullah, a former NFL player donated $11,593 dollars to charities supporting Palestinians. This is the exact dollar value of Azeez Al-Shaair’s fine.

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