Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is no stranger to being in trouble with the NFL. The Pro Bowl linebacker has been fined several times by the league over his eight-year NFL career for various infractions including illegal use of the helmet, fighting, blow to a quarterback's head/neck, and hit on a defenseless player, among others. But Al-Shaair’s latest infractions don’t involve him being over-aggressive on the field.
The 29-year-old defender has drawn the ire of the league office for what’s been deemed a uniform violation relating to his eye black, in which he’s used to reveal his stance about the conflict going on in Palestine. Al-Shaair was fined $11,953 during a Jan. 12 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for sporting the message “stop the genocide” on his eye black. He was also fined $11,941 after Week 1 for having “Hind Rajab,” the name of a slain 4-year-old Palestinian girl, written on his eye black.
He then wrote the name of a different slain Palestinian girl on his eye black during Houston’s Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which nearly led to an ejection, according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones. However, if it costs him playing time, that’s where Al-Shaair appears to draw the line. I think that’s the biggest thing.
I have no affiliation, no connection to these people other than the fact that I’m a human being. Even when I’m walking off this field, that’s the type of stuff that goes through my head that I have to check myself when I’m sitting here crying about football when there’s people dying every single day.”
Extract — continue reading at the source.
