Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was back at practice on Monday for the first time since serving a three-game suspension in the wake of his hit to the head of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Al-Shaair and the Texans took issue with the disciplinary letter written by NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan. That letter said Al-Shaair’s “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” and Al-Shaair referenced it in a statement he posted to social media on Monday.
Al-Shaair said seeing video of the hit and an ensuing brawl with Jaguars players “was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment” because he saw how he allowed his emotions to “get the best of me where I completely lost it.” Al-Shaair also wrote that he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Runyan and others to discuss both his actions and his belief that the initial letter produced a “false narrative” about him.
“I have a ton of respect for those at the league office and the responsibility they have to uphold for player safety,” Al-Shaair wrote. “Without going into detail, the meeting we had was productive and gave me hope for moving forward and playing the game that I love with continued best intentions, while also not having my character and integrity unjustifiably smeared. In that conversation -- man-to-man -- I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield. I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.”
Al-Shaair will be able to play in Week 18 and seems likely to see time since the Texans are planning to play all their healthy regulars against the Titans.
