May 2, 2025
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans blames Trevor Lawrence for Azeez Al-Shaair hit that concussed him

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans blames Trevor Lawrence for Azeez Al-Shaair hit that concussed him

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On Monday, Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans addressed Texas linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit that caused a concussion on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday.

He blamed Lawrence. And he thinks the Jaguars players overreacted when responding to the hit.

Ryans spoke about the success during his press conference Monday afternoon.

“We support Azeez and everything that comes with it,” Ryans said. “Sure, the unfortunate hit on a quarterback. But it’s twofold. A lot of quarterbacks these days try to take advantage of the rule that they slide late and try to get an extra yard.

“Now you’re a defender, and a lot of the responsibility falls on the defender. Whether it’s on the sideline or the quarterback, you don’t know what a guy is thinking. You don’t know if a guy stays and he keeps running. You don’t know. And you make a late slide and you hit the guy.

“Unfortunate Trevor got hurt. We hope Trevor is okay. But also, if we slip, you have to get off.”

Here’s the hit in full speed:

And again in slow motion:

Lawrence initiated his slide as Al-Shaair prepared for the tackle. Al-Shaair then launched headfirst at Lawrence after Lawrence surrendered. The hit left Lawrence dazed on the field and out of the game with a concussion. It also sparked a fight when Jaguars players responded in kind to Al-Shaair’s hit.

Ryans also has a problem with this.

“The problem is Azeez hits the guy, but their sideline overreacts and it turns into a scrum,” Ryans said. “It wasn’t our guys. Their team overreacted, pushed our guy, dragged him to the sideline. So it’s not justified on that end. We also need to be better on the sideline with both teams.”

DeMeco Ryans chastised quarterbacks for taking DeMeco Ryans chastised quarterbacks for taking

DeMeco Ryans chastised quarterbacks for taking advantage of the rule where they slide late and try to get an extra yard. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

The NFL handed out ejections to both teams on Sunday. Al-Shaair was eliminated for the move that started it all. Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones was ejected for his role in the ensuing melee.

Earlier on Monday, Al-Shaair released a statement apologizing for injuring Lawrence and saying that “I would never want to see a player injured because of a blow I inflicted on him, especially if he is judged ‘late’ or ‘useless'”. around “late” and “useless” are his.

The next voice to weigh in should be that of the NFL, amid calls for substantial hitting discipline.