Texans linebacker Azeez Al Shaair was one of the biggest stories in the NFL last week after his illegal hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which the league determined merited a three-game suspension. .
In a not-so-subtle social media post, Al-Shair said he was now ready to become the “villain.”
The linebacker appealed his three-game suspension, but the NFL upheld the suspension Wednesday.
Immediately after the news broke, Al Shayr posted a message on X.
“If you want me to be your bad guy, I'll be your bad guy! See you soon,” he wroteincluding the middle finger and clown emoji.
The post also included four images. One photo shows him on the field with Houston, another photo of his cleats with the word “Free” written on it, one photo of the Joker from the Joaquin Phoenix movie, and one photo with a quote that reads: There is beauty in being rejected, misunderstood, unseen, and unprotected. ”
The suspension and subsequent reaction all stem from a play in the second quarter of Sunday's Texans-Jaguars game in which Lawrence scrambled out of the pocket and slid back to avoid a hit.
But instead, Al Shail came in and tied his forearm to Lawrence's head, resulting in a concussion for the quarterback and a scuffle between both teams on the field.
Al Sha'ir was subsequently sent off from the match for assaulting a signal-caller and was widely criticized for his play.
On Monday, he apologized to Lawrence on his Instagram Story.
“My goal is to hit you as hard as I can, and then pray that you can still get up and make the next play. And when the game is over, go home to your family without getting hurt, because it's a personal Because it's not a thing, it's just a competition!'' he posted.
“We're both trying to do the same thing, provide for our families. I didn't really see him skating until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye. Trevor I sincerely apologize for what happened.”
Lawrence was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. NFL.com reported He will also undergo likely season-ending surgery on his shoulder for an unrelated injury.
