Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fired $11,593 for violation of the NFL uniform and equipment rules after he wore eye black that stated “stop the genocide” during his team’s AFC Wild Card Round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter Sunday (January 18) morning.
“Source: Texans’ LB Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 for a violation of the NFL uniform and equipment rules for wearing eye black that contained a personal message during last week’s Wild Card game,” Schefter wrote on his X account.
The eye black message referenced Israel’s ongoing policies in Gaza where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in military operations that followed Hamas’ deadly attack on an Israeli festival in October 2023.
Israel has rejected the criticism its faced and has deemed allegations of genocide as an antisemitic attack. Al-Shaair, who is Muslim, had previously expressed his support of Palestinian causes through the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” program which allows “NFL players, coaches and staff display custom and creatively designed cleats to elevate important causes and nonprofit organizations” in adherence with league rules, according to NFL.com.
“If my platform can bring even a little hope to families in Palestine, then that is what I want to use it for,” Al-Shaair said in a statement obtained by ESPN earlier this season.
The Texans will face the New England Patriots in their AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Gillette Stadium on Sunday (January 18).
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