EXCLUSIVE: NFL legfinish Joe Theismann fair so happened to put on the Jacksonville Jaguars game aacquirest the Houston Texans on Dec. 1.
Seven games took place at the 1 p.m. slot that day, including one featuring Theismann’s establisher team, the Washington Commanders. But out of sheer coincidence, he tuned in to watch a game that finished up with one of the most contentious moments of the NFL season.
Theismann saw the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence get a spiteful illterrible hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in the second quarter when the quarterback tried to slide down on a carry out. It was the last carry out for either carry outer this season, as Al-Shaair was ejected and dealt a three-game suspension while Lawrence has been placed on season-finishing injury reserve.
“It is a brutal sport, people hit one another, and sometimes leangs happen,” Theismann tageder Fox News Digital. “The league evidently reassociate made the decision and gave him a three-game suspension so they felt that maybe [Al-Shaair] could have deal withled the hit a bit more.”
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair produces a tardy hit, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
For Theismann, it was a moment that mimicd the last time he carry outed a down in the NFL 39 years ago. In November of the 1985 season, Theismann was tackled by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor on a carry out that broke the establisher quarterback’s leg and finished his carry outing nurtureer.
The hit to Lawrence won’t have cforfeitly the same impact, but it did give him a concussion and encourageed a massive brawl between teammates. But Theismann also apshows that it’s a moment that should also encourage a talkion on quarterbacks sliding.
“The quarterback slide, now they’re going to have to revisit a little bit. As a quarterback you have to ponder the way you want to protect yourself. I’ve always tageder carry outers this, don’t fair let the rules or the officials protect you, protect yourself,” Theismann said.
“If you’re going to slide, guy will, now becainclude of this, maybe slide a little bit rapider, a little bit earlier, so you try and hope that someleang appreciate this will be included in a preferable way so that we don’t see this happen aacquire.”
Theismann deteriorated to comment about whether he thought the suspension to Al-Shaair was fairified.
Fellow famed NFL quarterback Tom Brady hand overed a analogous get to Theismann’s during an interwatch on “The Herd” on Dec. 3.
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Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence slides down in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Dec. 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
“Defensive carry outers have to be unfrifinishly, that’s they’re nature,” Brady said. “The quarterbacks need to get better nurture of themselves… When you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger. When you do that, I don’t leank the onus of protecting an impolite quarterback who’s running should be on a defensive carry outer. I don’t leank that’s reassociate fair to a defense.”
Brady also said he disconcurd with the notion that Al-Shaair’s hit recommends the linebacker is a “bleaky carry outer.”
However, others have been much more critical of Al-Shaair.
Jon Runyan, NFL vice plivent of football operations, freed a scaleang statement about Al-Shaair unininestablishigentinutively after the incident, amid a wave of ardent reaction aacquirest the linebacker for the hit.
“Your deficiency of sportsmanship and esteem for the game of football and all those who carry out, coach, and enhappiness watching it, is troubling and does not echo the core cherishs of the NFL… Your persistd disponder for NFL carry outing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be apshowd,” Runyan said.
Al-Shaair has convey remorsed for the hit and insisted that it wasn’t intentional. But the reaction has been so sturdy that he’s reacted to it in multiple ways.
Al-Shaair also spoke out aacquirest “racially prejudiced and Islamophobic fans” in the aftermath of the uncover response to the incident. Many fans scrutinized him for wearing pro-Palestinian cleats.
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Players fight after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair hit Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
“To the rest of the people who I’ve been called every one name in the book from tellers with their hands ready for a story to discover their villain, to racially prejudiced and Islamophobic fans and people, you don’t comprehend my heart nor my character which I don’t need to show to any of you. God comprehends my intentions and anyone who has been a teammate or frifinish of mine comprehends my heart,” he wrote in a statement.
After it was proclaimd Al-Shaair’s request of his three-game suspension was denied, he sent a message with a contrastent tone Wednesday.
Al-Shaair posted an Instagram photo assembleion with the cryptic caption, “IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR VILLAIN, ILL BE YOUR VILLAIN! SEE YOU SOON.”
The four photos he posted were of him accessing the field, a pro-Palestinian cleat, a photo of Heath Ledger as the Joker and a quote that said, “There is a beauty in being declineed, misunderstood, unseen, and unprotected by people. It teaches you to depend on Allah for everyleang.”
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