NFL Warns Player Against Pro-Palestinian Message on Eyeblack
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was threatened with removal from a game for wearing unauthorized political messaging.
The NFL informed Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that he would be removed from a recent game if he continued to wear pro-Palestinian messaging on his eyeblack, according to a league source. This warning came after Al-Shaair attempted to display the name of a slain Palestinian girl on his eyeblack for the second consecutive week.
In Week 1, Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 for inscribing the name of Hind Rajab on his eyeblack. The NFL prohibits players from displaying personal messages during game days. Undeterred by the fine, Al-Shaair appeared for warmups before the Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals with the name of another Palestinian girl, Wafaa Akila, on his eyeblack. The inscription remained visible when the game began.
An NFL official eventually noticed the message and informed Al-Shaair and the Texans that the player must remove it or face being removed from the game. The threat of being pulled from play apparently prompted Al-Shaair to remove the eyeblack and continue the game without it, a consequence that a financial penalty had not achieved.
Al-Shaair, who is Muslim, signed a three-year, $54 million contract extension in April and did not appeal his Week 1 fine. He previously stated that the financial penalty was irrelevant compared to the value of a life, questioning, "What’s a life worth? Is a life worth $11,000? I think it’s priceless."
This is not the first time Al-Shaair has been fined for messages on his eyeblack. In January, he received an $11,593 fine for wearing eyeblack with the slogan "Stop the Genocide." The league has a history of enforcing its policy against personal messages on uniforms, eyeblack, or cleats, with players like Jim McMahon, Maxx Crosby, Odell Beckham, and A.J. Brown having been previously warned or fined for similar infractions. Cardinals defensive back Kei'Trel Clark was recently fined for inscribing "Glory B 2 God" on his eyeblack.
The NFL maintains this policy to ensure consistency in player appearance and avoid what one source described as "the wild west out there." The league inscribes its own messages on fields during games. Al-Shaair's actions have focused on the deaths of Palestinian children, such as Hind Rajab, without acknowledging Israeli casualties or the actions of groups like Hamas, according to the report.
The Houston Texans are scheduled to play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.