NFL Reportedly Threatened to Eject Player Over Pro-Palestine Eye Black
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was allegedly told to remove eye black honoring a Palestinian child or face ejection from a game.
The NFL reportedly warned Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that he would be removed from a recent game if he did not take off eye black that referenced a Palestinian child. According to The Athletic, Al-Shaair wore the name of Wafaa Akila, an 8-year-old girl killed in an Israeli airstrike, under his eyes during the team's Week 2 game against the Bengals. He subsequently removed the eye black during the game.
This incident follows a previous instance where Al-Shaair was fined by the league. A week prior to the Bengals game, he received a $11,492 fine for writing "Hind Rajab," another Palestinian child who died in January 2024, on his eye black during a loss to the Bills. He was fined an additional $11,593 in January for wearing eye black with the message "Stop the Genocide."
League rules prohibit players from displaying personal messages on their equipment on game days without prior league approval. This includes messages worn during pregame warmups and mentioned in postgame interviews.
Al-Shaair, who is Muslim, has been vocal about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He has previously stated that the situation is being silenced and that the loss of innocent lives on either side is unacceptable. He has also spoken out against the dehumanization of people involved in the conflict, emphasizing their shared humanity.
The NFL has previously fined other players for displaying political messages. In 2024, San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa was fined for wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat during a postgame interview.