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It was big news when Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was suspended three games for the hit he made on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last Sunday during their win, 23-20. As the unfortunate event by the Texans linebacker led to massive discourse about whether it was a dirty hit or not, general manager Nick. Caserio would say that the league's decision to suspend Al-Shaair is “unfair.”
“Quite frankly, it's unfair,” Caserio said to the media Tuesday. “And I'd say one of the biggest issues that, and I probably speak for a lot of teams, not only Houston Texans, but I think that's all teams ask for, is consistency from the league. And I'd say in this situation, I mean, quite frankly, there's no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that's been handed down. So when you go back, let's look at this season.”
“Okay, we had multiple situations, multiple examples, all right, two really good players,” Caserio continued. “I would say, [Brian] Branch ejected against Green Bay, right? Plays the next week against us. Okay, Derwin [James] ejected. All right. Got suspended for one game, and Derwin is a great player, and Derwin has had some other situations that have come up. And I see, even going back here, a player that we know well organizational here, Kareem Jackson. Kareem is a good player. Was ejected, was ejected, fined, ejected, fined, ejected, and then suspended after three games.”
#Texans GM Nick Caserio ripped the league for its characterization of LB Azeez Al-Shaair, calling it “unfair,” “embarrassing,” and “bulls***.””
Caserio says the NFL is not consistent with their suspensions and he provided examples to back his claims: pic.twitter.com/9AWLW3VgAz https://t.co/slnKS8CmLL
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 3, 2024
Texans' Nick Caserio on the attack on Azeez Al-Shaair's character
On top of saying his opinion about the league's inconsistency, Caserio would speak more about Al-Shaair and how people questioning his character is “embarrassing.”
“So we're going to say Azeez Al-Shaair, who nobody embodies our program more than Azeez, what he's about, what he's been through,” Caserio said. “You all know his story. There's not a more selfless individual, more about the team who's earned the respect that 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 has been made about his character, about the person that he is, about what his intentions are for people that, quite frankly, don't know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair, okay, and for the league to make some of the commentary that he made about lack of sportsmanship, lack of coachability, lack of paying attention to the rules, quite frankly, it's embarrassing.”
“So I think the big thing from our talk about a player who's never been suspended, never been ejected,” Caserio continued. “Now we're saying that he's going to be suspended for three games, so look, it is what it is. I think the big thing from our standpoint, and all teams want, is just some level of consistency. And we've talked to the league, quite frankly, we don't have a good explanation. DeMeco [Ryans] talked to them yesterday, so I mean, it is what it is.”
Consequently, Al-Shaair plans to appeal the suspension from the league as the Texans are 8-5, which puts them first in the AFC South. They next face the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 15 after their bye week.
