Azeez Al-Shaair has been dubbed the NFL's “dirtiest player” after the Texans star was seen punching the head of Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey.
Al-Shaair found himself in “a dark place” earlier this season, after his late hit on Trevor Lawrence sparked a fight and left the Jaguars quarterback with a nasty concussion.
The Texans linebacker was suspended for three games and only returned to action on January 5, for Houston's regular season finale against the Tennessee Titans.
A week later, Al-Shaair attracted more controversy when the Texans booked their spot in the divisional round of the playoffs with a victory over the Chargers.
In a clip that emerged on social media, McConkey is seen catching a pass from quarterback Justin Herbert before being tackled by Derek Stingley Jr.
Moments after the 23-year-old fell to the ground, Al-Shaair is seen making a punching motion and hitting the receiver's head.
Azeez Al-Shaair has been dubbed the NFL's 'dirtiest player' after 'hitting' a rival
The Houston Texans linebacker was penalized after a brutal hit on Trevor Lawrence.
He had to be restrained by his Texans teammates when a melee broke out after the hit.
“Dirtiest player in the league,” one NFL fan wrote on social media. Another called him the 'Draymond Green of the NFL' and told the Texans to 'do better.'
Green, the Golden State Warriors star, has earned a reputation for violent antics on the court, which in 2023 led to an indefinite suspension.
“Just get him out of the league,” a third fan wrote on X. But many other NFL fans jumped to Al-Shaair's defense, insisting he was just trying to get the ball out of McConkey's hands.
“He was clearly going for the ball. Unlike the attack on TLaw, this one was accidental,” one of them said.
“It looks like he was hitting the ball… Slow motion makes you forget how fast everything happens,” another noted.
“On his defense, it looked like he was trying to hit the ball, but at horrible timing,” added a third.