Aaron Rodgers makes feelings known on Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair's illegal hit on Trevor Lawrence
Aaron Rodgers has shared his thoughts on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's hit on Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence.
During the second quarter of the Week 13 showdown at EverBank Stadium, Lawrence looked to get it going on 2nd-and-7 near midfield. The QB slid in an effort to protect himself, but Al-Shaair landed a nasty hit, which saw him ejected and eventually suspended for three games.
Al-Shaair's hit on Trevor Lawrence was a hotly debated issue, with personalities, from Tom Brady to Texans GM Nick Caserio, chiming in on the controversy. On the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers also shared his take on what many saw as a dirty hit.
“I don’t think Azeez is a dirty player.. now he’s a THUMPER though! He can really hit!
"If I’m watching film, and luckily he didn’t play when we played the Texans, but if I was out, I would know where is. I would know where 0’s at, and I don’t think I’d be worried about a late slide there. I would slide with plenty of time because he’s a talented player,” Rodgers said on the show.
Tom Brady suggests controversial rule change in aftermath of Trevor Lawrence hit
In an interview on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said that it wouldn't be fair to put the onus on the defensive player to protect the offensive player.
Brady sided with the belief that defensive players already have their hands tied when it comes to stopping the quarterback. In an effort to avoid a Trevor Lawrence situation in the future, Brady suggested a pretty substantial rule change:
"Maybe they fine or penalize a quarterback for sliding late and say, 'Look, if we don't want these hits to take place, we've got to penalize the offense and the defense rather than just penalize the defensive player for every single play that happens when there's a hit on the quarterback,'" Brady said.
Brady's comments, though, didn't sit well with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who called the Patriots legend "the wrong messenger" since the "Brady Rule" was instituted to protect the quarterback majorly because of Brady.