Azeez Al-Shaair goes Joker after suspension for Trevor Lawrence hit upheld: 'I'll be your villain'

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair apologized Monday for his late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Two days later, however, Al-Shaair posted an image of DC Comics bad guy the Joker on X and wrote, "I'll be your villain."

Apparently the sixth-year player is unhappy with the NFL upholding his three-game suspension without pay Wednesday following his late and violent hit that led to Lawrence being carted off the field with a concussion and sparked two ugly skirmishes Sunday.

During the second quarter of a game between the AFC South rivals at EverBank Stadium in Florida, Lawrence scrambled to his left, then initiated a slide that should have ended the play. Instead, Al-Shaair appeared to continue at full speed, crashing into the defenseless quarterback's face mask with his forearm.

In a lengthy X post Monday morning, Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence, saying he "genuinely didn't see him sliding until it was too late," adding that "it all happens in the blink of an eye."

The NFL's vice president of football operations, Jon Runyan, announced Al-Shaair's suspension Tuesday. He said the league deemed the hit "unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules."

"Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars' quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide," Runyan wrote in a letter to Al-Shaair. "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."

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The three-game suspension was upheld after Al-Shaair's appeal was heard by hearing officer Ramon Foster, who was appointed by the NFL and the players association. Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for the Texans' regular-season finale Jan. 5 against the Tennessee Titans.

In an apparent response to the suspension being upheld, Al-Shaair took to X and posted several images, including one of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and another featuring a version of a popular saying that mentions the need to "rely on Allah for everything."

"IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN! SEE YOU SOON," Al-Shaair wrote, adding emojis of a middle finger and a joker.

Lawrence, who was making his first start after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, remained on the ground for several minutes after the hit. Al-Shaair was ejected for “an illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessary, to the neck and head area,” referee Land Clark said in a pool report.

“To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening,” Al-Shaair wrote Monday on X. “Before the game we spoke and I told you how great it was to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them, especially one that was ruled ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’”

Lawrence was ruled out of the game with a concussion and was seen later walking out of the stadium with his wife. On Sunday night, he posted on X that he was back "home and feeling better."

Lawrence was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, likely ending the former Pro Bowl player's fourth NFL season. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Lawrence is expected to have surgery to repair an AC joint injury in his left shoulder in the near future.

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Immediately after Al-Shaair delivered the blow on Lawrence, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram shoved the Texans player for what Engram later described to reporters as "a dirty hit."

"Trevor was going down and I saw it out of my peripheral," said Engram, who received a personal-foul penalty for his actions during the Texans' 23-20 win. "I got a pretty clear view of it, and in that moment, just [reacted on] instincts. It just didn't feel like a clean hit, so just go stick up for my quarterback.

"I mean, I saw him sliding and then I saw the hit, and then just, honestly, [emotions] just took over. I just knew it was wrong. It was just a dirty play, and you stick up for your guys."

Two separate fights broke out between the teams before Al-Shaair left the field. As he was being escorted to the locker room by teammate Will Anderson Jr., a fan threw a water bottle that hit Anderson in the helmet. That fan was ejected. Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones also was ejected from the game after leaving the bench and punching another player.

Al-Shaair addressed Lawrence's teammates in his X post. "I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that," Al-Shaair wrote.

He added: "To the rest of the people who [have called me] every single name in the book, from reporters with their hands ready for a story to find their villain, to racist and islamophobic fans and people, you don't know my heart nor my character which I don't need to prove to any of you. God knows my intentions and anyone who has been a teammate or friend of mine knows my heart."

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Al-Shaair was fined $11,817 for punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson during a Week 2 game. He was also fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard in Week 12.

"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," Runyan said. "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."

In addressing the matter with reporters Monday, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said "we stand by Azeez" while seemingly putting some of the blame for the late hit on Lawrence.

"It's twofold, right? I mean, a lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late and they try to get an extra yard," Ryans said. "A lot of onus is on the defender. Whether it's on the sideline or whether it's on the quarterback, you don't know what a guy is thinking. You don't know if a guy's staying up and he's continuing to run. You don't know. And then you get a late slide and you hit the guy.

"Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. We hope Trevor's OK. But it’s also, if we're sliding, we have to get down. If we’re getting out of bounds, we get out of bounds."

Ryans also said he thought the Jaguars "overreacted" in the aftermath of the hit.

"The entire thing is Azeez hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts and it turns into a melee," Ryans said. "It wasn’t our guys. It’s their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline, so that’s uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines as well with both teams.”

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Speaking to reporters hours after the suspension was announced, Texans general manager Nick Caserio lashed out against the severity of the punishment and some of the language Runyan used in his statement.

"Talk about a player who has never been suspended, never been ejected. So now we’re saying he is gonna be suspended for three games?" Caserio said. "So, look, it is what it is. I think the big thing from our standpoint is, and all teams want this, is just some level of consistency.

"But I think where we take umbrage is the picture that has been painted about Azeez, his intentions, who he is as a person. I mean, quite frankly it’s bull—. And it's unfair to the individual, it's unfair to the organization. We love everything about Azeez Al-Shaair, what he means to this team, what he brings to this team."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.