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Texans Player Cries Foul After Being Fined For Playoff Protest Message

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Houston Texans
Photo Credit: Tennessee Titans, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair ignited controversy by admitting he knowingly risked punishment after wearing “Stop the genocide” across his eye tape during a playoff win.

The pass rusher addressed reporters outside his locker room after the team’s loss to the New England Patriots, confronting the fine that followed his highly visible on-field message.

The NFL fined Al-Shaair $11,593 for the message written on his eye tape during Houston’s playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a penalty he acknowledged he expected.

Al-Shaair told reporters he was fully aware discipline was coming and believed the situation escalated beyond what he anticipated.

“I knew that that was a fine. I understood what I was doing… I was told that if I wore that in the game, I would be pulled out the game,” Al-Shaair stated.

“I think that was the part that I was confused about because I understood that was a fine but I never seen Stef [New England Patriot’s star Stefon Diggs] get pulled out of a game for having eye tape with writing on it.”

The linebacker framed his decision as rooted in personal conviction rather than defiance of league rules, signaling he believed the message outweighed any football consequence.

“At the end of the day, it’s bigger than me, the things that are going on,” Al-Shaair continued. “If it makes people uncomfortable, imagine how those people feel.”

He described the moment as a moral reckoning that followed him well beyond the final whistle.

“I think that’s the biggest thing. I have no affiliation, no connection to these people other than the fact that I’m a human being,” Al-Shaair added.

“If you have a heart and you’re a human being and you see what’s going on in the world, you check yourself real quick.”

The Texans defender said the perspective shifted how he processes wins and losses on the field.

“Even when I’m walking off this field, that’s the type of stuff that goes on in my head,” he said.

“I check myself when I’m sitting here crying about football when there’s people who are dying every single day.”

League rules strictly limit what players can display while visible to fans and television audiences, including personal messages not approved in advance.

The NFL rulebook states, “Throughout the period on game-day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience… players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office.”

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Al-Shaair’s comments came after a rough postseason exit for Houston, which fell 28-16 to the Patriots in a snowy matchup that drew attention well beyond the final score.

Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn reacted to the weather conditions following the loss, questioning whether outdoor playoff games create an uneven playing field.

“To level the playing field, shouldn’t NFL playoffs be held in domed stadiums?” Cornyn tweeted after the game.

The performance also reignited scrutiny around Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who struggled mightily against New England.

NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman suggested Stroud’s recent play could force difficult conversations inside the organization.

“DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio, they’ve got some tough decisions they gotta make about this team on the offensive side of the ball,” Aikman said during the game.

“They replaced Bobby Slowick last year after his two years as the offensive coordinator.”

Aikman pointed to a lack of growth from the young quarterback during critical moments.

“C.J. Stroud has been chasing his rookie success for the last two years. He’s not been the same player. We’ve not seen the development from him,” he added. “There’s a reason for that, and it has to be addressed.”

Stroud threw four interceptions in the loss, finishing 20-of-47 for 212 yards and one touchdown while failing to capitalize on multiple defensive stops.

The struggles followed another shaky outing against the Steelers, where Stroud fumbled five times and threw an interception despite a 30-6 wild-card win.

“Seven turnovers in the two playoff games,” Aikman said. “Your most important games of the year, you can’t just overcome that kind of quarterback play.”

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans publicly stood by his quarterback after the defeat.

“C.J.’s our guy,” Ryans remarked. “I believed that he could come back out in the second half and flip it.”

The Patriots’ victory also sparked a social media response from rapper Cardi B, the girlfriend of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, after several analysts picked Houston to advance.

“THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE IN US !!! I LIKE US!!!!! WE ALL WE GOT!!!!! WE ALL WE NEED !!!!” Cardi B wrote on X.

“What are you talking about? Nothing!” she added in a video accompanying the post.

Diggs finished with four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown, while Kayshon Boutte delivered a decisive one-handed scoring grab late in the fourth quarter.

Elsewhere in the football world, President Donald Trump announced plans to protect the Army-Navy game’s television window.

“The Army-Navy Game is one of our Greatest American Traditions — Unmatched Patriotism, Courage, and Honor!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He said he would soon sign an executive order securing an exclusive four-hour time slot for the annual rivalry game.

“No other Game or Team can violate this Time Slot!!!” Trump added.

Trump attended the 126th Army-Navy game in Baltimore last month, greeting players and tossing the ceremonial coin at midfield.

The football weekend also featured a lighter moment ahead of the national championship matchup between Indiana and Miami.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun proposed a friendly wager with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis centered on regional food favorites.

“If IU loses, I’ll send you some pork from Fischer Farms… plus some pies from the famous Wicks Pies,” Braun wrote.

DeSantis accepted the bet while backing Miami.

“If Indiana wins, I’ll send stone crabs and key lime pie from Joe’s Stone Crab,” DeSantis replied, joking about Florida’s seasonal Indiana population.

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