The platform that the NFL provides to its players is undoubtedly a big responsibility. But more often than not, its own rules put them in a dilemma: follow their heart as a fellow human or the rulebook as a player. Even though the Texans’ OLB, Azeez Al-Shaair, has only been here since 2024, he has already become a big part of the Houston community, and it is easy to see why. For starters, he has been a standout performer for the Texans ever since his arrival. Even in their 31-36 loss to the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, he made his impact known. But more importantly, he is exactly what Houston prides itself on.

The Texan city is a melting pot of cultures and isn’t shy about speaking up on social injustices around the globe. And every time Al-Shaair steps off the field, win or lose, he knows someone out there needs his help. “If my platform can bring even a little hope to families in Palestine, then that is what I want to use it for,” he said in 2025. But just like last season, the linebacker, who already believes he’s a marked man in the eyes of the NFL and its officials since his 2024 penalty, will have to pay a hefty sum for supporting his cause.

Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 for an unauthorized message on eye black in the team’s Week-1 matchup against the Bills, according to Texans and NFL insider for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790, Aaron Wilson.

In photos circulating online, ‘Hind Rajab’ was visible on his eye black. Al-Shaair has voiced his support in helping Palestinian families, and Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl who died in the Israel-Gaza conflict two years ago. The league informed the OLB about their decision that conflicted with Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of their rulebook.

According to the rule, players have to get approval from the league before displaying personal messages. It also states that the NFL will not permit messages related to “political activities or causes, other non-football events, causes or campaigns, or charitable causes or campaigns.” It wouldn’t be Al-Shaair’s first time getting such a letter, though.

Al-Shaair knows the rules but has always spoken up anyway

The OLB knows that the NFL does not allow players to wear personal messages, no matter what stance it is for, unless it has approved it in advance. However, Al-Shaair has done it multiple times now.

Last season, he was fined $11,593 for writing “stop the genocide” on his eye black in the team’s Wild Card win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also going to wear the message in the team’s divisional clash against the New England Patriots, which they eventually lost. He was seen wearing it in the pregame drills, but once the officials informed him that he wouldn’t get to play in such a case, he compromised and removed it before the kickoff. His reasons remained the same, though.

“At the end of the day, it’s bigger than me,” Al-Shaair said following the loss against New England. “The things that are going on make people uncomfortable, imagine how those people feel. I think that’s the biggest thing. I have no affiliation, no connection to these people other than the fact that I’m a human being.”

Al-Shaair won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last season. The award is given to a player who excels on the field and is dedicated to philanthropy and community service off the field. He has certainly used his platform to raise awareness for these concerns, and not just through messages on his eye black.

Azeez Al-Shaair has been vocal about his support for Palestine. He chose to honor the Palestine Children Relief Fund last season for the NFL’s ‘My Cause, My Cleats program.’ He is an eight-season veteran and has posted three seasons with more than 100 tackles. He was selected for his first Pro Bowl last season and is already making a big impact on the team. But in 2024, he had to face the music for another reason.

The NFL has strict rules to protect its quarterbacks, but as a defensive player, you can’t pre-empt a move, nor can you wait too long and avoid a chance to tackle your opponent. In his very first season as a Texan, Al-Shaair got the taste of those rules in real time. So much so that he was suspended for four games after he tackled Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence while he was sliding to end his run. But the OLB saw the play differently and believes the league is out for him:

“Prior to that play, either A, you might not even know who the hell I was, and if you did know who I was, that was never ‘dirty player’ or ‘piece of crap’ attached to my name ever,” Al-Shaair said on The Pivot Podcast last month. “But now, off of this one moment, this one play that happened this fast, everything that I’ve worked for is like now up in arms.

“I’m getting attacked as a human being for a play that literally is happening in a split second. So if I could say my biggest pivot as an adult, it was probably that.”

He isn’t the only Texan facing fines ahead of their Week-2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Week 1 clash at home brings multiple penalties on the Texans

While the official website still awaits a fines list, a handful of Texan players also got caught by the league’s microscopic lens.

• Running back David Montgomery will be charged a $11,491 fine for featuring an unauthorized logo on his cleats.
• Offensive tackle Trent Brown received a $5,971 fine for wearing socks that didn’t cover his lower leg.
• Defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. got an $8,923 fine for roughing up the Bills’ quarterback, Josh Allen.

With financial penalties mounting across the roster, Houston must swiftly clean up off-field distractions before facing Cincinnati.