Azeez Al-Shaair should probably quit the NFL at this point and try his hands at combat sports. That brutal hit to Trevor Lawrence was just the tip of the iceberg. This isn’t the first time the Houston Texans linebacker lost control and acted impulsively. But Al-Shaair should have known that a 3-game suspension was waiting for him just around the corner.

The devastating hit sparked a brawl on the field, but the linebacker wasn’t willing to back down. Things got so bad that the Jacksonville quarterback was carted off the field. Subsequently, he was ruled out of the game shortly after. It was scary seeing Lawrence on the ground after he got the wind knocked out of him.

Mike Florio graced the internet with the latest update on Al-Shaair’s suspension in the recent installment of NBC Pro Football Talk. He went through Jon Runyan’s (NFL VP of Policy and Administration) statement. He also gave his take on the direction the NFL is taking with the Texans linebacker’s violation. However, why the NFL chose to suspend the Texans LB for 3 games is an enigma to the football analyst. Why 3 games? Why not 2 or 4?

The Texans can still appeal to CBA to rescind the penalty against Al-Shaair. They have a bye week coming up. Not only will the Texans have to deal with Jon Runyan (who issued the suspension), but they’d also have to deal with Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, Kevin Mawae, and Jordy Nelson. These are all former NFL players who are now overseeing the appeal part of it.

Per Florio, the NFL is “trying to move the goalpost around,” meaning they’re doing whatever they please. And there’s no formulaic strategy to punish Al-Shaair. But people who are not concerned with NFL, NFLPA, and CBA rules and regulations might have a hard time wrapping their heads around the endless processes that go into applying for concession for penalties.

Florio had qualms with the NFL’s decision. That’s because he didn’t understand whether the Texans LB is being suspended for three games for the hit or 2 for the hit and one for the altercation. NFL, per Florio, takes bizarre actions when it comes to suiting their PR policy. In the past, they’ve waived some hefty fines. But this time, they might want to make an example out of Azeez Al-Shaair. If anything, this behavior causes transparency issues between the league and the fans.

“We’ve seen punishments issued by the league get overturned in the past,” Florio said on PFT. “There’s kind of a political element to this, a PR where sometimes the league will go easy on a guy because it doesn’t want to lose the appeal. Sometimes it’ll go harder on a guy not caring if it loses the appeal. Because it wants to send a message to the world that they take these things seriously. And I think this is something we [Florio and Devin McCourty] were discussing during the break: the possibility of a suspension for the rest of the season…”

That will be gruesome for the 27-year-old LB. The football analyst further pointed out how there’s a separate entity that overturns the suspension. For laymen like us, it’s hard to understand the inner workings of the league. And it might lead to people calling the league “wishy-washy.” On that note, let’s dive into what Jon Runyan stated about Azeez Al-Shaair’s transgressions.

What the NFL thinks about Azeez Al-Shaair

Okay, let’s just get this out of the way first. That hit to Trevor Lawrence was unwarranted because he clearly slid down so there was no reason to tackle him like that. It doesn’t matter who’s side you’re on. It looked like a deliberate attempt to harm the Jacksonville QB and NFL is pretty strict on those violations, rightfully so. NFLs VP of Policy and Administration, Jon Runyan, released a statement recently.

“You were involved in a play that the [NFL] considers unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules,” Runyan posted Tuesday. “Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide. … You led with your forearm and helmet. And delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of your opponent when you had time and space to avoid such contact.”

After the hit, a brawl erupted. A Jags player engaged in a fight with Al-Shaair and it spilled to the sidelines. In the second paragraph, Runyan highlighted how the LB’s lack of “sportsmanship” and “respect” for the sport violates the core values of the NFL. The VP further noted how the league won’t tolerate the violation of “health and safety protocols” either.

In the wake of all this, Al-Shaair took to social media and apologized to Trevor Lawrence for the late hit. He said that it happened ‘in the blink of an eye.’ The hit had put Lawrence under concussion protocol. Also, it might have aggravated Trevor Lawrence’s AC joint injury. This might prompt the Jaguars to consider it carefully.

Doctors might rule Trevor Lawrence out for the season. This could make things worse for him. Till then, Azeez Al-Shaair’s appeal and Trevor Lawrence’s season are up in the air.