Controversial NFL star Azeez Al-Shaair risks ban for wearing ‘Free Palestine’ cleats to training camp
Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has once again courted controversy after training in cleats bearing a divisive political message at training camp.
The linebacker, who triggered outrage from NFL fans for a brutal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last season, has further risked the wrath of the league over his choice of footwear this week.
The 27-year-old had ‘Free’ written on the outside of his cleats in red and green Palestine colors, with messages written on the side when he addressed reporters during the Texans’ second practice session Thursday.
On one cleat, it read: ‘Surely to Allah we belong and to him we will all return,’ while the other said: ‘At least 41,788 Palestinians killed. 10,000+ estimated to be under the rubble. 96,794 wounded.’
Al-Shaair is a practicing Muslim, and he joined the Texans in March 2024 on a three-year, $34million contract.
It wasn’t the first time the Tampa-born player has worn the cleats after he debuted them during the 2024 season.
Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has once again courted controversy this week
The linebacker was spotted wearing pro-Palestine cleats at Thursday’s training camp
The cleats’ return this week comes as it closes in on two years since the October 7 attacks that ignited the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The NFL has a rule that prohibits players from displaying or wearing political messages and Al-Shaair’s defiance of the policy has raised questions over whether he could face punishment from the league.
San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa was hit with an $11,255 fine from the NFL last fall when he wore a cap bearing Donald Trump’s ‘Make American Great Again’ slogan during a postgame interview on live television.
It is currently unclear if or how Al-Shaair could be punished for wearing the cleats but fans on social media called for him to be banned before the new season has even begun.
However, it wouldn’t the first time Al-Shaair has found himself in trouble with the league. Last December, he was slapped with a three-game suspension following his controversial hit on Lawrence.
Al-Shaair hit the headlines for the brutal tackle that left the quarterback motionless on the turf and sparked a huge brawl between the teams.
Lawrence was running for a first down and slid to give himself up on the play. Al-Shaair did not pull up and made a vicious hit to the upper body and helmet of the quarterback.
As soon as the hit was delivered, tight end Evan Engram is the first to start shoving Al-Shaair, with several others from both teams involved in the scrum seconds later.
The linebacker first wore the cleats bearing the political message last season
Al-Shaair made headlines last season for his controversial hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence was eventually carted off with a concussion, while Al-Shaair was ejected from the game.
In a fiery post on social media, Al-Shaair attacked fans, branding those who criticized his hit on Lawrence as ‘racist and Islamophobic’ and accused reporters of calling him ‘every name in the book.’
Last October, former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh sparked controversy after he was spotted wearing a Lebanese flag below the Nike logo on the sleeve of his team hoodie during his team’s defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in London.
The night before the game, Israeli bombing had continued on Beirut, the Lebanese capital, amid the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Saleh, who is of Lebanese heritage, was fired by Jets owner Woody Johnson just two days later amid New York’s flailing start to the season. Reports claimed his dismissal was not related to his decision to wear a Lebanon flag.
