Houston Texans linebacker Azeez al Shaair was fined $11,593 for wearing eye black that read “Stop the genocide.”
Al Shaair made the political message during the Texans’ Jan. 12 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Friday, al Shaair shared close-up photos of himself wearing the eye black on his Instagram.
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This was a slightly higher fine than that given to San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, who was fined $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat in November 2024.
Chief NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the fine to the Washington Examiner. McCarthy cited the rule that al Shaair broke with his eyeblack.
“Throughout the period on game-day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office,” the NFL rulebook reads.
The message was an apparent reference to Israel’s war in Gaza, which left over 70,000 Palestinian civilians dead, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Al Shaair is Muslim.
While a ceasefire agreement was struck in October, Israel and Hamas have traded fire based on allegations that the other side violated the ceasefire.
The day before al Shaair wore the eye black, Hamas promised it would dissolve its government in Gaza once the U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic leadership committee assumes control of the territory.
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It remains to be seen whether al Shaair will continue to don the eye black, with his next game set for Sunday afternoon against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Texans for comment.
