Miami (AFP) – Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion from a brutal late hit from Azeez Al-Shaair that saw the Texans linebacker ejected and a brawl erupt between the NFL teams on Sunday. Lawrence was sliding to a stop on a six-yard scramble when Al-Shaair slammed into his head, leaving the Jags quarterback visibly shaken and teammates angry.
As a mass shoving match ensued not far from where Lawrence was lying on the field, Jacksonville cornerback Jarrian Jones was also thrown out of the game for his role in the fight, and Jacksonville tight end Evan Engram was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Things heated up again briefly when Al-Shaair and Jacksonville guard Brandon Scherff traded words as Al-Shaair was being escorted off the field. Teammates restrained Al-Shaair as he tried to go after Scherff.
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“It’s a play that nobody wants to see in our league,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said after the game. “You see what happens after the fact … and it just escalates. It’s unfortunate … I’m glad that Trevor is going to be OK,” added the coach, although there was no word on when Lawrence will be able to return to action. The quarterback left Sunday’s game sitting up in a cart but was soon ruled out for the rest of the contest. He had just returned to the lineup after missing two games with a left shoulder injury.
It’s not the first time this season that Al-Shaair has been involved in an on-field altercation. In September, he escaped a suspension after punching Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson, although he was reportedly fined $11,000 by the NFL. That incident came after Al-Shaair hit Bears quarterback Caleb Williams along the sideline as Williams was headed out of bounds. When several Bears players complained, Al-Shaair punched Johnson’s facemask.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he would speak to Al-Shaair about the play. “It’s unfortunate,” Ryans said. “That’s not what we’re coaching, that’s not representative of who we are.” The Texans’ 23-20 victory was just their second in five weeks and pushed the AFC South leaders’ record to 8-5. The Jaguars, meanwhile, endured a fifth straight defeat.
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