Azeez Al-Shaair Embraces 'Villain' Role in Social Media Post After Suspension Upheld

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The NFL officially upheld the three-game suspension of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on Wednesday afternoon—the result of a hit on Jaguars Trevor Lawrence this past Sunday that not only concussed the quarterback, but landed him on injured reserve.
Following the news that he'll officially be away from the team for their next three games, Al-Shaair took to X (formerly Twitter) with a message:
"IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN! SEE YOU SOON…"
IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN!🖕🏾SEE YOU SOON…🃏 pic.twitter.com/GA5FMglMjz
— Azeez Al-shaair (@A_train2_) December 5, 2024
He posted the same message to his Instagram:
Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence for the hit on social media earlier this week, saying that he, "genuinely didn't see him sliding until it was too late. ... To Trevor i genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening." The linebacker has history of dirty plays, which sparked not only the suspension, but a damning statement from the NFL to go along with it.
After a failed appeal process on Wednesday, the 27-year-old will now miss three important AFC matchups versus the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
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Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.