Texans vs. Jaguars referee details Azeez Al-Shaair ejection after brutal hit on Trevor Lawrence

Houston Texans (8-5) linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was ejected during the second quarter of Sunday’s 23-20 Week 13 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) after making hard contact to the head and neck area of quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he was attempting to slide at the end of a six-yard gain.

Referee Land Clark, speaking with pool reporter Mark Long of the Associated Press, explained why Shaair’s hit on Lawrence warranted an ejection.

“An illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessary, to the neck and head area,” Clark said, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Referee Land Clark to pool reporter @APMarkLong on the ejection of #Texans LB Azeez Al-Shamir, who knocked #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence out of today’s game with a concussion: “An illegal hit on the quarterback, unnecessary, to the neck and head area.” pic.twitter.com/yuWekV7KiW

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 1, 2024

DeMeco Ryans speaks on Azeez Al-Shaair hit on Trevor Lawrence

As Lawrence laid on the ground, tight end Evan Engram stormed in and pushed Al-Shaair to the ground, sparking an on-field brawl. Lawrence, who rose to his feet after being checked out by medical personnel, was carted off the field. The Jaguars immediately ruled him out for the remainder of the game with a concussion.

Al-Shaair had to be escorted through the tunnel back to the locker room by Texans personnel and security after nearly getting into a scuffle with Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff. Officials also ejected Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. Clark said that Jones threw a punch at an opposing player, leading to his ejection.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans called the hit “unfortunate.”

”It’s unfortunate with the hit with Azeez,” Ryans said after the game, via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “That’s not what we’re coaching. We want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team. … We just have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. It’s an unfortunate play. It’s not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player and really a great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there, his loss really affected us on the defensive side.

“It’s not what we’re coaching. I didn’t want to see the melee and all of the aftermath. It’s not what we’re about. It’s not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.”