J.J. Watt voices complaint against Azeez Al-Shaair's punishment for Trevor Lawrence hit
Former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt shared his thoughts on Azeez Al-Shaair's punishment over the controversial hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After causing a concussion to the former No. 1 overall pick during Sunday's game, Al-Shaair was given a three-game suspension.
Watt joined "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday to talk about the situation. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year disagreed with the league's decision, saying that the punishment was "extremely harsh."
"And I do think that there's justification for punishment there, no doubt," Watt said. "I do also think that the punishment is extremely harsh, especially when you listen to what (Nick) Caserio said.
"And you listen to the comparisons to other punishments that have been handed down across the league, and you look at the history and just the precedent there, the inconsistency in the punishment is an issue, but I understand that there should be a punishment handed down there."
The play has become a hot topic around the league and many have had something to say about it. Fortunately, Lawrence shared a positive update on his condition, but it's still unclear when he will return to action.
The Texans ended up winning 23-20 despite a 14-point fourth quarter by the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence's backup, Mac Jones, completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
Azeez Al-Shaair will miss the games against the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Once his suspension is over, he'll be back against the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 5 to close out the regular season.
Tom Brady also reacted to Azeez Al-Shaair hit on Trevor Lawrence
A day before JJ Watt talked about the Azeez Al-Shaair-Trevor Lawrence incident, Tom Brady shared his reaction. During Tuesday's edition of "The Herd With Colin Cowherd," the seven-time Super Bowl champion noted the importance of quarterbacks protecting themselves at any time, as they play a dangerous sport.
"When you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger,' Brady said. "When you do that, I don’t think the onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who’s running should be on a defensive player. I don’t think that’s fair to the defense."
Al-Shaair's hit has become one of the biggest stories of the 2024 NFL season and it doesn't seem like people will stop addressing it anytime soon.