On Sunday, during the second quarter of the Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence ran out to the left side of the pocket and while sliding to the ground, was hit by a nasty and illegal elbow by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Lawrence was promptly stunned on the ground and a fight broke out between both teams when Jaguars tight end Evan Engram initiated a shove on Al-Shaair, getting back for his quarterback.
In the NFL, it is illegal to hit a quarterback if they are in the motion of sliding toward the ground. Jon Runyan, Vice President of the NFL’s policy and rules administration claimed that Al-Shaair acted recklessly and had plenty of time and space to avoid delivering such a forceful hit to Lawrence. On December 3rd, Al-Shaair was suspended for 3 games due to this action, and for repeated rules violations during this season.
Trevor Lawrence was diagnosed with a concussion after the game and posted on X, “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.”
Azeez later shared his sympathy for Lawrence on X by saying, “‘I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late,'” he wrote in a statement he posted to X. “‘To Trevor i genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great 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’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.'”
Jaguars tight end, Evan Engram, who quickly started a fight with Al-Shaair after the hit said, “‘It was a dirty hit. Obviously, those hits are always in question. Trev was going down, and I saw it out of my peripheral, got a pretty clear view of it, and in that moment, just instincts, it didn’t feel like a clean hit, so I’m just gonna stick up for my quarterback.” Right after Ingram did this, a fight broke out between the teams that spilled into the Jaguars sideline, and right around where Lawrence laid after getting hit.
Senior at Wayne Hills, Nick Wagner said, “I think that it’s football and hits like that happen. I do agree that Azeez Al-Shaair may have overdone it, but its a physical sport.” When asked about his suspension, he added, “I think three games is excessive, maybe should’ve have been one or two games.”
Regardless of intent or mistake, the NFL community wishes Trevor Lawrence a speedy recovery.
