Houston Texans General Manager Nick Caserio ripped the NFL for what he calls the “unfair treatment” of linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after the league handed down a three-game suspension of the player following his brutal hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday.
Video of the terrifying hit went viral after Al-Shaair collided with Lawrence while the quarterback attempted to slide. The hit drew an immediate flag and ejection and sparked a massive brawl between the two teams.
After the game, Al-Shaair posted an apology, claiming he never intended to hurt Lawrence. He also aimed at “racist and Islamophobic” fans for their criticisms over the hit and the “Free Palestine” cleats Al-Shaair was wearing during the game.
On Tuesday, the league announced a three-game suspension for Al-Shaair, which NFL Vice President of Football John Runyan called a “serious violation of the playing rules.”
In response to Runyan’s statement and the narratives that have sprung up since the illegal hit, Caserio defended his player and blamed the NFL.
“It’s an unfortunate play and situation,” Caserio said. “One of the biggest issues that we sort of take umbrage with, as a team and organizationally, is the picture that’s been painted of Azeez, quite frankly is unfair. I would say one of the biggest issues, 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. I say in this situation quite frankly there’s no consistency at all relative to the level of discipline that’s been handed down.”
The Texans executive also accused the league of making statements damaging Al-Shaair’s reputation and character without knowing him personally.
“We’re talking about some of the commentary that’s been made about his character, about the person that he is, about what his intentions are from people that quite frankly don’t know anything about Azeez Al-Shaair. For the league to make some of the commentary that they made about lack of sportsmanship, lack of coachability, lack of paying attention to the rules, quite frankly it’s embarrassing.”
Caserio referenced a portion of Runyan’s letter that portrayed Al-Shaair as a stain on the league.
“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL… Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated,” Runyan wrote.
Caserio added, “What we take umbrage at is the picture that’s been painted about Azeez, his intentions, and who he is as a person. Quite frankly, it’s bullsh*t. It’s unfair to the individual, it’s unfair to the organization, and we love everything about Azeez Al-Shaair.”