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Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars players and coaches were controlled in their postgame reactions to the hit that knocked quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of their game against the Houston Texans.
But they were still angry about the hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair two hours after it happened late in the first half of Houston’s 23-20 victory at EverBank Stadium.
“It was a dirty hit,” said tight end Evan Engram, who shoved Al-Shaair after the play. “Obviously those hits are always in question. Trevor was going down and I saw it out of my peripheral [vision]. I got a pretty clear view of it, and in that moment, just [reacted on] instincts. It just didn’t feel like a clean hit, so just go stick up for my quarterback.
“I mean, I saw him sliding and then I saw the hit, and then just, honestly, it just took over. I just knew it was wrong. It was just a dirty play, and you stick up for your guys.”
Al-Shaair hit Lawrence in the head after Lawrence slid at the end of a 6-yard scramble late in the first half. Engram retaliated against Al-Shaair, and that sparked the first of two fights between the teams. By the time the melee cleared, officials ejected Al-Shaair for an illegal hit to the quarterback’s head and neck area and also assessed Engram a personal foul penalty.
Jaguars right tackle Anton Harrison, tight end Brenton Strange, receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and defensive end Travon Walker were among the players who also came to Lawrence’s defense. Cornerback Jarrian Jones also was ejected after he came off the bench and threw a punch at another player, per a pool report with referee Land Clark.
The brawl happened just a few yards away from Lawrence, who was down on his back with his arms in what appeared to be the fencing posture. An official knelt to protect Lawrence as the skirmish moved toward the Jaguars sideline. Lawrence was down on the field for several minutes before eventually being taken off the field on a cart — he rode in front sitting up — and the team ruled him out for the rest of the game with a concussion.
“That was a dumb hit on his [Al-Shaair’s] part,” defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. “… At the end of the day he’s just playing football, but again, the way we’ve changed the rules of how we play, we go over these things. We talk about these things. We know how to play football. A couple of years ago, that would’ve been a great hit, but now that wasn’t a good play on him.
“I am not going to sit up there and say, does he deserve to get suspended or not? That’s not my call at that moment. It wasn’t smart.”
This isn’t Al-Shaair’s first time getting into an altercation. In the Texans’ Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears, he punched running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline. This came after he had a questionable hit on quarterback Caleb Williams when Williams was sprinting toward the sideline.
Al-Shaair was fined $11,817 for the punch.
“Unfortunate with the hit with Azeez,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It’s not what we’re coaching. Just want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt our team. I didn’t want to see the melee and all of the aftermath. It’s not what we’re about. I talked to Azeez and addressed it personally, and we’ll move forward.”
Things got heated again several moments after the first fight was broken up when Al-Shaair and Jaguars right guard Brandon Scherff exchanged words while Al-Shaair was being escorted off the field. Al-Shaair ripped off his helmet and tried to go after Scherff, but he was restrained by Texans teammates Henry To’oTo’o and Joe Mixon. Al-Shaair also exchanged words with Jaguars fans after linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was hit in the helmet by a water bottle while helping escort Al-Shaair back to the locker room.
“My prayers go to Trevor and I really hope and pray he’s OK,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “Praying to his family as well. Still rocking with Azeez. I don’t think that was his intent.”
Lawrence was making his first start since Week 10, when he suffered a sprained left AC joint in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He missed the Jaguars’ next two games — losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions — and the Jaguars had a Week 12 bye, giving Lawrence a month to recover.
He had completed 4 of 10 passes for 41 yards and an interception before the injury.
“I was excited for Trevor to get back out there and start for our team and lead our football team this week,” head coach Doug Pederson said. “It’s unfortunate. It’s a play that really has no business being in our league. I thought the officials did a great job of doing the best they could to get control of it and all of that.”
This is the second concussion for Lawrence — who left the Jaguars locker room with his wife and walked to the players’ parking lot behind the team’s training facility adjacent to EverBank Stadium — in less than a year. He also suffered a concussion in a Week 15 loss to Baltimore on Dec. 17, 2023.
ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime contributed to this report.
