NFL's treatment of Azeez Al-Shaair after controversial hit deemed 'unfair' by Texans' Nick Caserio.

On Tuesday, the NFL suspended Houston Texans player Azeez Al-Shaair for three games. The 27-year-old linebacker will not receive his salary during the suspension, the league stated.

The NFL penalized Al-Shaair for delivering a violent hit to Lawrence's head area, resulting in a concussion for the Jaguars quarterback and disqualifying Al-Shaair from the game.

In a letter announcing Al-Shaair's suspension, NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan highlighted the linebacker's history of personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rule violations over the past few seasons.

On Tuesday, Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio refuted the narratives about Al-Shaair that have emerged since the contentious hit.

Al-Shaair was unfairly portrayed by the NFL, according to Caserio.

"Caserio stated that the situation with Azeez is unfortunate and unfair, as it goes against the team and organizational values. He emphasized that consistency is a major issue for all teams, including the Houston Texans, and that the current situation lacks consistency in terms of discipline."

Al-Shaair's personal character was not fully understood by the league before making comments about him, as suggested by Caserio.

"The league's commentary about Azeez Al-Shaair's lack of sportsmanship, coachability, and adherence to rules is embarrassing, as it comes from people who do not know anything about him."

Al-Shaair's "lack of sportmanship" and "disregard for NFL playing rules" were criticized in a portion of Runyan's letter.

Your disrespect for the game of football and those who play, coach, and enjoy it is concerning and does not align with the NFL's core values. Your disregard for NFL playing rules endangers the health and safety of both you and your opponents and will not be tolerated.

Caserio stated that the organization he works for is deeply fond of the veteran linebacker.

"We object to the portrayal of Azeez as a person with malicious intentions, which is unjust and untrue. It is unfair to both the individual and the organization. We appreciate everything about Azeez Al-Shaair."

Al-Shaair issued an apology to Lawrence on Monday.

I have always played the game with maximum effort, never with the intention of causing harm. Anyone who knows me knows that. My objective is to hit you as hard as possible, but I hope you can get up and continue playing. After the game, I want to return home safely to my family because it's not personal, it's just competition. We are both striving to provide for our families. I didn't anticipate him sliding until it was too late, and it all happened in a flash.

"I sincerely apologize to Trevor for the outcome of the game. Prior to the game, we spoke and I expressed my excitement to see him back on the field. I wished him well and made it clear that I never intended to cause any harm to him, especially with a hit that was deemed "late" or "unnecessary." I can understand why his teammates would stand up for him in such a situation."

Al-Shaair accused the media of portraying him as a "villain."

"To those who have labeled me with every name in the book, from journalists eager to expose my supposed villainy to racist and Islamophobic fans and others, you do not know my heart or character, and I do not need to prove it to any of you. God knows my intentions, and anyone who has ever been a teammate or friend of mine can attest to my heart."

If Al-Shaair's suspension is upheld, he won't be able to play for the Texans until after their Christmas Day game against the Ravens.

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