Former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder does not agree with the NFL’s three-game suspension of Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair for the hit that concussed Trevor Lawrence.
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Crowder supported Shaair on The Pivot Podcast, where he exclaimed, “One hit doesn’t make a player,” and called the Texans LB the “spirit and the soul of the Houston defense.” He also detailed why the Texans should not alienate their defensive player by citing a personal life example of his arrest.
“I remember talking to GMs coming out. And, I got arrested. And they asked me. They were like, hey you’ve been in some trouble, ‘what happened?’ I said ‘I get in a bunch of bar fights because when dudes call me names or somebody say something slick to me, I’m gonna slap him.’”
However, the then-Vikings head coach Mike Tice offered him support and even spun Crowder’s history with violence as a positive thing:
“I think he was (Mike Tice) with the Vikings at that time. He was like, yeah a middle linebacker that enjoys fighting. Not a big problem for me. That’s the point. You want to pick and choose when you criticize. It’s a violent game.”
With the NFL upholding the suspension, Shaair will miss the games against the Dolphins, the Chiefs, and the Ravens. His absence is a crucial blow for the Texans despite his low number of sacks (2, tied 147th).
Agreeing with the former Dolphins LB’s stance, co-analyst Fred Taylor reckoned Azeez has been made the “scapegoat” this time around to endorse the NFL’s spirit of the game and play-safe message. He added that Trevor Lawrence being a “high-profile quarterback” also contributed to the action.
Earlier in the Week 13 Sunday game, Al-Shaair raised his forearm and struck the defenseless quarterback, while he was scrambling in the second quarter. Lawrence, who was back in the starting lineup after missing two games due to a sprained left shoulder, collapsed and was taken to the medical tent for immediate treatment.
The Jaguars placed the concussed QB on IR, meaning he will miss four weeks and could only be ready for the Colts game on January 4.
Meanwhile, in a letter to Al-Shaair, NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan called the hit “unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules.”
Runyan also observed that Shaair has had multiple offenses for personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations in recent seasons, hinting that his past track record contributed to the suspension.
All three panelists agreed that the suspension was uncalled for. However, the writing was already on the wall, as the dirty hit on Lawrence had sparked a brawl, which preceded two ejections, including the one on Al-Shaair.
