Furious Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has called the NFL ‘hypocritical’ and ’embarrassing’ for suspending Azeez Al-Shaair for three games while harshly condemning his on-field behavior.
Al-Shaair was suspended after making a vicious tackle on Trevor Lawrence during Houston’s 23-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, which provoked a bench-clearing altercation between the two teams.
Lawrence, who was motionless on the field due to a concussion, had to be held back by his teammates throughout the altercation before being removed from the game.
After announcing his three-game suspension, which prohibits him from contacting his team, the NFL cited Al-Shaair’s previous offenses, claiming that his ‘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.’ ‘Your continuing contempt for NFL playing regulations jeopardizes the health and safety of both you and your opponents and will not be tolerated,’ Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote in a letter to the player. However, Caserio responded to NFL chiefs in a heated diatribe on Tuesday.
The Texans GM first argued that their assessment of Al-Shaair’s conduct ‘couldn’t be further from the truth’ and that ‘nobody has a lot of respect for that’.
‘The picture that’s been constructed about Azeez, his intents, who he is as a person… I mean, very bluntly, it’s bulls***,’ he swore. ‘And it is unjust to both the individual and the company. ‘No one better represents our program than Azeez; what he stands for, what he’s been through… you’ve all heard his tale. There is no more unselfish individual who cares more about the team and has gained the respect that embodies all we want this program to be about.
‘For the league to make comments about a lack of sportsmanship, coachability, and adherence to the rules is, quite frankly, embarrassing. They are referring to a player who has never been suspended or dismissed. Caserio also accused the NFL of duplicity regarding its position on player welfare. ‘If the league says they care about its players’ well-being, and I believe Azeez is going through a lot right now, we can’t even provide support on a variety of levels,’ he added.
So it’s a little hypocritical to say, “We want to support the players, but do you know what, the organization can’t have contact with him for four weeks.”
‘Okay, so what do you want [him] to do? Just go float by himself?’ Caserio concluded his outburst by citing other ejections that have been punished less harshly in recent years to demonstrate his dissatisfaction with the NFL’s lack of consistency.
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch was recently expelled for a late hit against the Green Bay Packers but returned the next week, while Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James earned a one-game ban after being dismissed for a similar violation in September.
‘The level of consistency compared to the necessary punishment, it has to match up in some manner,’ Caserio said. ‘We’re attempting to understand it. Again, I speak for the Texans, but I also speak for many of the other clubs in the league. Everybody just wants some uniformity, a level playing field, so that we can apply the rules properly.
Prior to his three-game suspension for the hit on Lawrence, Al-Shaair had never been disciplined by the NFL. He had also faced criticism for having a political slogan on his cleats against the Jaguars. Despite apologizing to Lawrence on Monday, the 27-year-old plans to appeal his punishment, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Nonetheless, the late tackle that concussed Lawrence is not the first time Al-Shaair’s on-field behavior has come under scrutiny. During his final season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, the linebacker attempted to sack Tom Brady and grabbed his throat. After Brady threw the ball, Al-Shaair put his right hand over the Hall of Fame quarterback’s neck in an image that soon went viral.
During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he also attacked Chicago’s Roschon Johnson, who was not even in the game at the time of another sideline altercation.
A number of fans and analysts have criticized Al-Shaair for his deadly tackle on Sunday, with Fox Sports’ Michael Strahan claiming that every defensive player ‘knows not to do that’. Despite the criticism of his player, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans spoke out in favor of Al-Shaair on Monday.
Ryans stated at a news conference on Monday that the Texans fully support their player, emphasizing that he is a ‘wonderful human being’ who ‘plays the game in the proper way’. ‘With the entire Azeez scenario, we stand behind Azeez and everything that has come from it,’ he told journalists.
‘Unfortunately, he hit a quarterback, but the reason is twofold. Many quarterbacks today try to take advantage of the regulation by sliding late and attempting to gain an extra yard. ‘As a defender, you bear a great deal of responsibility. You never know what a player is thinking on the sidelines or at the quarterback position. You don’t know if a guy has stood up and is still running. And then you have a late slip and hit the man.
‘It’s sad that Trevor was injured, and I hope he’s okay, but also, if you’re sliding, you have to get down, and if you’re getting out of bounds, get out of bounds, because that rule is there to protect quarterbacks.
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