Former Super Bowl champion furious at NFL’s deciscion to suspend Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair

Former New England Patriots star and two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan knows that the game of football can have some outlandish hits.

He also knows it’s a part of the game, which is why he’s not a fan of the recent suspension against Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. 

Ryan said on CBS Sports that the three-game suspension on Al-Shaair for the hit against Trevor Lawrence was “way too harsh,” especially given the ramifications of the bang-bang play.

“Taking a guy out three games? His job is to tackle people,” Ryan told Brandon Baylor. “Now that tackle was egregious. That tackle was unsportsmanlike. That tackle should have gotten him kicked out the game, which it did. That tackle will get him fined, which it did. But, it’s going to take three game checks?

“I understand everything that happened after the hit. I would like to see one game. I think that’s enough of a lesson; it’s enough of a fine taught. He’s not going out there. He doesn’t have a history of this.”

“Way too harsh”@RealLoganRyan on Azeez Al-Shaair’s 3-game suspension for hit on Trevor Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/aG9LtO7rPS

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 3, 2024

Al-Shaair, who plans to appeal the suspension, was notified by the NFL Tuesday that he would be out due to “consistent behavior” and as a “repeated offender” for his tackling style.

“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,” Jon Runyon, the NFL’s vice president of football operations and former Houston Oilers player, wrote. “Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.”

Ryan, who spent years on the same sidelines with seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, can understand why Al-Shaair would be fined, suspended and even tussled up by the Jaguars’ players trying to defend their quarterback.

He can’t understand how the NFL can make a call to suspend a player doing his job.

NFL is suspending Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair three games for the hit he delivered Sunday to Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/knMej2dwzW

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 3, 2024

“The fine is way too harsh,” Ryan said. “Now, maybe it’s set that way to appeal so it goes down to two games or one, but I think one game would have been sufficed.”