After previously fining Azeez Al-Shaair for his eye black message “Stop the Genocide,” the NFL has once again penalized the Houston Texans linebacker for another unauthorized expression.
This time, Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 for writing “Hind Rajab” beneath his eyes during a 36-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the season opener. He wore the eye black even during postgame interviews.
Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl who tragically lost her life along with six family members in January 2024, when their vehicle was shot at by Israeli forces in Gaza City. Her death became emblematic of the suffering endured by Palestinians, leading to a criminal investigation by the Israeli military into the incident this past August.
The NFL invoked Rule 6, Section 4, Article 8, which prohibits players from displaying personal messages without prior approval on game days, covering everything from pregame warmups to postgame interviews.
This rule focuses on the necessity of authorization, rather than the content of the message itself. Previously, they fined 49ers player Nick Bosa for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a postgame interview that aired on television.
Back in January, Al-Shaair received an $11,593 fine for his original Gaza message. He did opt to wear similar eye black again during warmups the next week but took it off after being warned that he could be benched.
After his first fine, Al-Shaair expressed that his concern for the loss of life abroad was more significant than personal consequences, stating he intended to highlight their suffering using his platform.
This latest fine is unlikely to financially impact him much, especially since he recently signed a three-year, $54 million extension that includes a $14 million signing bonus. Reports suggest he does not plan to contest the penalty.
While the fine might seem minor in the grand scheme, it does demonstrate Al-Shaair’s commitment to conveying his message, even if it means facing the consequences.
