Jaguars Shouldn't Expect Any Let-Up from Azeez Al-Shaair

The Jacksonville Jaguars' upcoming clash against the Houston Texans is much more than an average Week 3 game. Firstly, it features two divisional rivals desperate for a win going head-to-head. The Jaguars are 1-1 and coming off a brutal last-minute loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Texans have yet to get their first victory of the season, and a 0-3 hole has proven to be practically insurmountable throughout NFL history. Only six teams have done it since the league moved to a 16-game campaign. The last one was Houston back in 2018. They'd like to avoid having to pull off another miraculous late-season surge, while the Jaguars would like to bury last year's AFC South champions early on.

But Week 3's matchup is bigger than football for a lot of people. Some see it as a shot at revenge for Trevor Lawrence and his team, after Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair concussed Jacksonville's quarterback last year on a dirty hit that ended T-Law's season. The Jaguars and their fans may be seeking retribution, but it seems Al-Shaair is long past making amends.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Trevor Lawrence, Azeez Al-Shaair, Houston Texans — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Azeez Al-Shaair isn't worried about the past

The Jacksonville Jaguars, Head Coach Liam Coen, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence have maintained that Week 3 is just a regular game, a crucial divisional clash, certainly, but nothing more outside of the lines. Anyone hoping that Lawrence and his team would be on a mission to avenge his late hit from Azeez Al-Shaair could be sorely disappointed.

It might be a good thing that T-Law and the Jaguars aren't looking for an apology, because they shouldn't expect to get one from the Houston Texans linebacker. To his credit, he did (sort of) express remorse shortly after the initial incident, but he appealed his three-game suspension from the league last year and has maintained that he's not a dirty player. He did so again ahead of his first game against the Jaguars since the hit:

"I've gotten all types of crazy stuff since that day, you know, 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'm going to go out there and do what I've done my entire career. Play as hard as I can. You know, anybody who got the ball in their hands, that's who I'm trying to hit and just do my job."

Azeez Al-Shaair #Texans on returning to Jacksonville where, in Dec. 2024, he was ejected for hit on #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence & later suspended 3 games.
He says he'll "just try to hit 'em (ball carriers) as hard as I can & do my job...(but) I play the game the right way." @KHOU pic.twitter.com/vlSyMLRMsW
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) September 18, 2025

Houston media asked if anything would be on the back of his mind going into the game, to which he said:

"Just try to hit them as hard as I can, do my job like I always do. It's really nothing different. 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. You know, because obviously that was a league-wide thing, and they tried to make me out to be somebody that I wasn't. So I think for me, I've just been trying to prove a point every single week of who I am, and I play hard, but I play the game the right way."

When asked if he had anything to say, he responded:

"The only thing I'm going to let talk is these shoulder pads right here. I don't gotta say much, you know. It's not really up to me to try to make somebody understand who I am."

There's only one way for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars to get the closure they need: by dominating on Sunday and kicking Al-Shaair and his Texans down to 0-3.

To get our updates for the Jaguars' revenge against Azeez Al-Shaair and the Texans, follow us on X at @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley right now!

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