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 matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair Reacts to Return vs. Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 11:15 AM ET

Week 3 of the NFL season will mark the first time the Houston Texans will match up against the Jacksonville Jaguars since linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair took down Trevor Lawrence in his controversial tackle in Week 13 of the 2024 season, leaving the quarterback with a concussion out for the remainder of the year, and led to the Texans defender being suspended for three games because of it.

Now, with the two sides facing off once again for the first time on Sunday, it's fair to expect emotions to be riding high in this one.

But for Al-Shaair, he's already faced his fair share of chatter surrounding the incident of last season, even leading up to now, and it's clear that heading into Week 3's game in Jacksonville, he won't be switching up his hard-hitting, heat-seeking play style one bit.

"I mean, I've gotten all types of crazy stuff since that day, still get it, to this day, from people, just in general," Al-Shaair said of his Lawrence hit. " I don't know if they're fans of football, or they just hate me."

"Either way, that's between them and God. I have no clue. I know I'm gonna go out there and do what I've done my entire career, play as hard as I can. Anybody who got the ball in their hand, that's who I'm trying to hit, and just do my job."

Even while Al-Shaair won't be switching up how he attacks on his side of the ball this weekend, there are certainly deeper personal implications for the Texans defender to prove as well.

After essentially being framed as public enemy number one after his suspension-worthy hit last year, Al-Shaair wants to prove a point: he plays hard when he's on the field, and does it the right way.

"It's really nothing different. It's definitely a personal thing in a way, 'cause just about the credibility of my name," Al-Shaair said. "But, I guess that's more just how I attacked the whole season, because obviously, it was a league-wide thing, and they tried to make me out to be somebody that I wasn't. So I think, for me, I've just kind of been trying to prove a point."

"Every single week, you know, of who I am, and I play hard, but I play the game the right way, so that's just what I'm gonna keep doing. "

Azeez Al-Shaair #Texans on returning to Jacksonville where, in Dec. 2024, he was ejected for hit on #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence & later suspended 3 games.
He says he'll "just try to hit 'em (ball carriers) as hard as I can & do my job...(but) I play the game the right way." @KHOU pic.twitter.com/vlSyMLRMsW
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) September 18, 2025

So far this season, Al-Shaair has logged 17 combined tackles and a forced fumble through two games. For the Texans' defense to be at its best come Sunday against their division foe, the team captain in their front seven will also need to show out in a big way.

Al-Shaair may catch an extra dose of heat his way heading into the action this week as the Texans travel for their second road game of the season, but clearly, it won't be phasing him or his play style much at all.