Trevor Lawrence was hit by Azeez Al-Shaair of the Texans, and the Jaguars players criticized the hit as being "dumb."

Lawrence was removed from the game.

Trevor Lawrence was hit by Azeez Al-Shaair of the Texans, and the Jaguars players criticized the hit as being "dumb."
Trevor Lawrence was hit by Azeez Al-Shaair of the Texans, and the Jaguars players criticized the hit as being "dumb."

On Sunday, the Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Jaguars players retaliated with a huge hit that knocked out quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

During a scramble, Al-Shaair hit Lawrence around the head and neck, causing him to suffer a concussion.

The tackle resulted in a brief controversy, with Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones being expelled from the game, and Jaguars tight end Evan Engram receiving a penalty for unnecessary roughness.

Trevor Lawrence goes down
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides down in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, in the second quarter during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium on Dec. 1, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

At that moment, Lawrence felt the need to defend himself after Engram labeled Al-Shaair's hit as "dirty."

"I instinctively knew it was a dirty play," he said via the Jaguars' site. "I saw him sliding and then the hit. It didn't feel like a clean hit, so I just went to stick up for him."

Josh Allen-Hines, the Jaguars defensive end, also did not approve of the play. He remained silent on whether Al-Shaair should be suspended.

Allen-Hines stated via ESPN that the hit was unwise, but it's important to remember that football is a physical game. However, with the new rules, we must carefully review these incidents.

Trevor Lawrence hit
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)

"Discussing these topics, we are skilled in playing football. Although it would have been a successful play a few years ago, it was not a good one this time. I will not judge whether he deserves suspension or not, as it is not my responsibility at that moment. It was unwise."

The NFL is likely to impose fines on those involved in the brawl, as Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson described it as "an undesirable occurrence in our league."

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans lamented Al-Shaair’s hit.

Unfortunately, Azeez's hit was not what we were coaching. We aim to be smart in all our actions and avoid hurting the team. We need to be smarter when the quarterback goes down. The play was unfortunate, but it does not reflect Azeez's character as a smart and great leader. His absence was felt on the defensive side, and we missed his presence.

Trevor Lawrence leaving the game
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, leaves the field on a cart after getting injured on a late hit by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

"We're not coaching for that kind of behavior. I didn't want to witness the chaos and its consequences. It's not our mission. It doesn't reflect our values. I'll speak with Azeez directly and we'll move past it."

Houston won the game 23-20.

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by Ryan Gaydos

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