The NFL announced their massive punishment for the Houston Texans‘ star defender Azeez Al-Shaair after he took out Trevor Lawrence in their game this past week in a brutal hit. Lawrence will probably be out for the rest of the season after that hit, and Azeez is going to miss some significant time as he was suspended for three games due to that hit on the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback.
Both the team’s general manager Nick Caserio and their head coach DeMeco Ryans slammed the NFL for this punishment and had lengthy words in their media time to share their disgust for the league’s decision.
Houston Texans GM and Head Coach Erupt Over 3 Game Suspension
After the game, Al-Shaair apologized to Lawrence, and he was not expecting to be punished with any suspension let alone three games. Azeez has been fined multiple times for misconduct on the field, and twice this reason for punching another player and another illegal hit.
He will now miss three crucial games against three great teams. When both GM Caserio and their head coach spoke to the media, they destroyed the NFL for their decision on this punishment, and they were both vocally infuriated by it.
“That’s all teams ask for is consistency from the league. And I’d say in this situation, quite frankly there’s no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that’s been handed down,” Caserio said.
Nick Caserio: Pissed off. pic.twitter.com/lOBD80M1cS
— Ari M (@AriMeirov) December 3, 2024
He went on to point out that there have been other hits similar to this in which no suspension was handed out after the game. Safety Brain Branch was ejected for a dirty hit earlier this week and he never missed any game for suspension. The way the league decides these suspensions is arbitrary and there is no rhyme or reason.
He also added that this was way to harsh a punishment for Azeez who has not gotten into as much trouble with dirty hits as many other players:
“Nobody embodies our program more than Azeez, what he’s about, what he’s been through,” Caserio continued. “You all know his story. There’s not a more selfless individual, more about the team, who’s earned the respect, who represents everything that we want this program to be about. I mean, this morning, he was at a United Way event. So we’re talking about some of the commentary that’s been made about his character, about the person that he is, about what his intentions are, from people that quite frankly don’t know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair.”
Head coach Ryans was also pissed off by the league’s decision for such a harsh suspension. He went on to vouch for Azeez in his media time on Monday:
““He’s an exceptional leader for us,” Ryans said. “Azeez is a really good player, and he plays the game the right way. His intent is never to hurt anyone as he’s playing the game. If anybody knows Azeez and talks to Azeez, there’s nobody with a bigger heart than Azeez. This guy is a special guy I’ve known since 2019. Special young man. Love working with him. For any picture that’s painted that Azeez is a dirty player or doing something intentional, that’s the exact opposite of what Azeez is. People who know Azeez, they know him. They know how he plays the game.
“Yes, he plays it fast. He plays it physical. Sometimes that physical nature gets misunderstood in today’s game.”
They will get Azeez back for the playoffs which is most important, but he will be a huge missing piece for their next three games where they play the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Ravens.
Do you think this was a fair punishment for the hit on Lawrence or do you agree with Caserio that this punishment is way overboard for what happened?
Related: “Bulls**t, Embarrassing” Texans Owner Absolutely Rips The NFL For Suspending Azeez Al-Shaair
“He’s Doing What?” Texans Azeez Al-Shaair Ripped For Actions After NFL 3-Game Suspension
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