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A shamefully late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has many believing that a suspension is only a matter of time for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. However, a previous mental blunder could make the situation worse for the 27-year-old than it already is.
While the hit on Lawrence is on the front of everyone's minds, Al-Shaair is also responsible for a late hit on Caleb Williams in Week 2. The NFL could take the play on Williams into consideration when evaluating Al-Shaair's punishment for his hit on Lawrence, Jordan Schultz reported.
The hit on Williams did not injure the rookie the way Al-Shaair hurt Lawrence, but the NFL is notoriously tough on repeat offenders. Al-Shaair is almost certainly destined to receive a suspension or a hefty fine if he is lucky.
On top of the intent of Al-Shaair's hit, the NFL is also likely to consider the fact that both plays resulted in sideline brawls. In both cases, the linebacker escalated the situation by engaging with opposing players who intervened in defense of their respective quarterbacks.
In Week 13, Al-Shaair was ejected in the second quarter after his hit on Lawrence. He spent time brawling and engaging with the Jaguars' Evan Engram and Brandon Scherff before being escorted to the locker room once the situation was handled. Jacksonville slot corner Jarrian Jones was also suspended after getting involved off the sideline.
Will Azeez Al-Shaair be suspended?
If he ultimately is suspended, the official punishment for Azeez Al-Shaair will likely not come until mid-week ahead of Week 14. The NFL will likely conduct an official review and conduct meeting before determining the degree to which they wish to punish te linebacker.
Although rare, there is a chance Al-Shaair misses more than just a handful of games. The NFL has handed out lengthy suspensions for similar plays before. Most notably, the Las Vegas Raiders' Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle.
Burfict played just four games of the 2019 season before receiving his suspension. The punishment was ultimately the end of his career, as he has not returned to the NFL since.
