Texans’ Trevor Lawrence requires surgery after illegal hit by Azeez Al-Shair: report

According to NFL.com, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will need surgery to repair an AC joint injury in his left shoulder.

Lawrence initially injured his shoulder in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles and missed two games before returning on Sunday against the Houston Texans. He was the victim of an illegal hit by Texas linebacker Azeez Al-Shair, which placed him on injured reserve at the end of the season.

The hit sparked a brief but heated scuffle between the two teams after Al-Shair was stopped for the game and later banned for three games without pay.

Lawrence’s fourth NFL season ended after a disappointing 2-10 start. It is the second year in a row that Lawrence has injured his shoulder.

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) leaves the field on a cart after a late hit by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shair in the first half of the game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Jacksonville , Florida, injured. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Last season, he suffered a shoulder injury in a 30-12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. He missed the team’s next game, the first he had missed in his career due to injury. He had only missed games in college at Clemson when he tested positive for COVID in 2020.

Lawrence, who signed a $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars in the offseason, will undergo the second major surgery of his life. He previously underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder before being drafted first overall in 2021.

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The hit has become one of the most controversial moments of the 2024 NFL season, sparking a backlash against Al-Shair and sparking conversations about player safety among current and former players like Tom Brady and Stephon Gilmore.

Al-Shaair has apologized for the hit and insisted it was not deliberate. The linebacker appealed his suspension, but the NFL upheld it.

Al-Shair also spoke out against “racist and Islamophobic fans” following the public reaction to the incident.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shair (0) slips during the second quarter on Sunday, December 1, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida scored a late goal. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)

“I always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intention of harming anyone and anyone who knows me knows that. My goal is to hit you as hard as I can, then I pray you can still do it.” “Get up and play the next play,” he said in a statement. “And when the game is over, go home to your family unharmed because it’s nothing personal! It’s just a competition. We’re both trying to do the same thing, which is to provide for our families!”

“I really didn’t see him slip until it was too late. And everything happens in the blink of an eye. To Trevor, I sincerely apologize for what ultimately happened. We spoke before the game and I told you what it was like. “It was good to see you back on the field and I wished you all the best. I never want a player to get hurt because of a hit I gave them, especially if it is considered “late” or “unnecessary.” For the rest of his teammates, I can definitely understand that you have his back and defend him in a situation like this.”

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Al-Shaair was fined earlier this year after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline during a Week 2 game. The incident occurred during a scuffle that began after Al-Shair’s hard shot at Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was not blocked near the sideline.

The blow to Lawrence Sunday led to several Jaguars players lunging at Al-Shaair in retaliation, resulting in a violent scuffle.

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player to push and shove Al-Shaair after the hit, before other Jacksonville players followed.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence takes a break during the second half of a game against the Miami Dolphins on September 8, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Head coach Doug Pederson defended his team for its response on Wednesday.

“We’re not interested in hurting anyone. We’re not interested in ruining careers. We want to win a football game and strictly follow the rules. That’s our job. That’s how we train it, that’s how we play it,” Pederson said at a team press conference.

“If they ask or suggest that we pursue someone, we don’t. We definitely don’t do that. That’s not how I train. That’s not how I coach these teams, these players. “We’re just going to go out there and do our job, play fast, physical and within the rules.”

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested that Lawrence take some responsibility for the hit.

“We stand behind Azeez and everything that came from it,” Ryans said. “Of course it’s an unfortunate hit for a quarterback, but there are two reasons for it. A lot of quarterbacks these days try to take advantage of the rule that they slip late and try to get an extra yard.”

“Now you are a defender and a big responsibility lies with the defender.

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