Jacksonville Jaguars forward Evan Engram was fined for attacking Texans linebacker Azeez Al Shaaia after delivering a brutal and illegal hit to Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence last weekend.
Engram was fined $11,255 for punching Al Shair and slamming his face into the ground in retaliation. Al Sha'ir's hit sparked a huge scuffle across the sidelines between both teams.
Engram spoke after the game about Al Sha'ir's “dirty hit” and his reaction to it.
“It was a terrible blow,” Engram told reporters. “At that moment, I instinctively didn’t think it was a clean hit, so I had to stand up for the quarterback.
“I just knew it was wrong. It was a dirty play. You stood up for your guys. That's what it is.”
The league suspended Al Sha'air for three games without pay for the hit.
The Texans defenseman apologized for the hit in a statement posted to social media after the game. He also slammed fans who he claimed made “racist and Islamophobic” comments because of the “Free Palestine” spikes he wore during the match.
After the league rejected Al Shayer's appeal for a three-game suspension, he said on social media that if the NFL wanted him to play a “villain,” that's a role he was willing to play.
“If you want me to be your bad guy, I'll be your bad guy! See you soon,” Al Shair wrote after learning of his suspension.
This post included 4 photos. One is a photo of Al Sha'ir that was introduced before the game, another is a photo of the Joker, one is a photo of the “Free Palestine” cleats that Al Sha'ir wore on Sunday, and the other is a photo of his presence. This is a photo of a quote about “beauty”. Rejected and misunderstood.
Lawrence suffered a concussion from the impact and was taken off the field. The Jags QB was placed on IR immediately after the game to undergo shoulder surgery due to an injury sustained in Week 9.
