DEBATE: Is Houston Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair being unfairly punished for his illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence?
Last weekend, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence sustained a nasty concussion in the second quarter that forced him to sit the remainder of the game against the Houston Texans. Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who incapacitated Lawrence, was immediately ejected from the match and has since been suspended by the NFL for the next three games without pay. Jason Whitlock and coach Jason Brown discuss the incident. While Jason initially agreed with the NFL’s decision to suspend Al-Shaair, Brown may have convinced him to soften his stance. “When are we going to start making quarterbacks part of the 22 players that wear pads on the football field? Last I checked is we all have pads and helmets on. Stop with the defenseless player thing. When the quarterback left the pocket, he's now a running back,” Brown argues, adding that the only reason these rules are in place is because quarterbacks are so expensive. “This is not how you’re supposed to play the game that we all signed up for. Make the quarterback part of the game; take the slide out of football. You are in a no-win situation on defense,” he adds, noting that Lawrence chose not to run out of bounds and slid too late, and now Al-Shaair is being unfairly punished for just playing defense. In retrospect, Jason agrees with Brown’s stance — mostly. “I get the NFL is paying these quarterbacks 40, 50, 60 million a year, and they don't want their $50 million investment on the sideline, standing around in concussion protocol. I get it — but if the guy that's getting the most money is taking the least amount of risk, that's a bad, bad recipe that will create some disharmony in the locker room,” Jason says. “You're 1,000% right — ‘Hey, we all signed up to play tackle football. One guy because of the position he plays will get paid 50 million while I'm a linebacker getting paid 10 million, and he has to take less risk than me,”’ he says, imagining what many of the players must be thinking. “It makes no sense.” However, Jason also understands that Al-Shaair has a reputation for being unnecessarily violent. He plays a video montage of the linebacker’s most eyebrow-raising plays — some of which involve him punching another player in the head and hitting a player when he was already several steps out of bounds. When it comes to banning the quarterback slide, Jason says Brown is on “rock solid ground,” but the punishment of Azeez Al-Shaair for his illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence is “a little deeper” than just one reckless play. “This Azeez Al-Shaair is the new [Vontaze] Burfict,” he says. To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Last weekend, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence sustained a nasty concussion in the second quarter that forced him to sit the remainder of the game against the Houston Texans.
Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who incapacitated Lawrence, was immediately ejected from the match and has since been suspended by the NFL for the next three games without pay.
Jason Whitlock and coach Jason Brown discuss the incident.
While Jason initially agreed with the NFL’s decision to suspend Al-Shaair, Brown may have convinced him to soften his stance.
“When are we going to start making quarterbacks part of the 22 players that wear pads on the football field? Last I checked is we all have pads and helmets on. Stop with the defenseless player thing. When the quarterback left the pocket, he's now a running back,” Brown argues, adding that the only reason these rules are in place is because quarterbacks are so expensive.
“This is not how you’re supposed to play the game that we all signed up for. Make the quarterback part of the game; take the slide out of football. You are in a no-win situation on defense,” he adds, noting that Lawrence chose not to run out of bounds and slid too late, and now Al-Shaair is being unfairly punished for just playing defense.
In retrospect, Jason agrees with Brown’s stance — mostly.
“I get the NFL is paying these quarterbacks 40, 50, 60 million a year, and they don't want their $50 million investment on the sideline, standing around in concussion protocol. I get it — but if the guy that's getting the most money is taking the least amount of risk, that's a bad, bad recipe that will create some disharmony in the locker room,” Jason says.
“You're 1,000% right — ‘Hey, we all signed up to play tackle football. One guy because of the position he plays will get paid 50 million while I'm a linebacker getting paid 10 million, and he has to take less risk than me,”’ he says, imagining what many of the players must be thinking. “It makes no sense.”
However, Jason also understands that Al-Shaair has a reputation for being unnecessarily violent. He plays a video montage of the linebacker’s most eyebrow-raising plays — some of which involve him punching another player in the head and hitting a player when he was already several steps out of bounds.
When it comes to banning the quarterback slide, Jason says Brown is on “rock solid ground,” but the punishment of Azeez Al-Shaair for his illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence is “a little deeper” than just one reckless play.
“This Azeez Al-Shaair is the new [Vontaze] Burfict,” he says.
To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above.
Want more from Jason Whitlock?
To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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