Balgarianovinite.com
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez al-Shaair (0) has “Stop the Genocide” written on his eye black during an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair claimed there were threats to pull him from last week’s playoff game for having “stop the genocide” written on his eye black.
Al-Shaair wore the message — a reference to the suffering endured by the people in Gaza — during the Texans’ 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wildcard round of the NFL playoffs. Hours before the team’s divisional round game against the New England Patriots, the league announced it had fined Al-Shaair. The nature of the message was not the reason for the fine, but the mere existence of it violated the NFL’s policy against including a personal message on one’s person. He was fined more than $11,000 for the message.
Last season, San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa was fined for crashing a TV interview while wearing a MAGA hat.
Following the Texans’ loss to the Patriots, Al-Shaair was asked about the league’s decision to fine him. He explained that he fully expected the fine, as Patriots reciver Stefon Diggs — who played for the Texans last season — was regularly fined for writing messages on his eye black. What he didn’t expect, however, was the threat to take him out of the game.
“I knew that that was a fine,” Al-Shaair said at his locker. “I understood what I was doing. For example, [Diggs], he wears the eye tape — since I’ve know him — with stuff on it, and they always fined you. But I was told that if I wore that in the game, I would be pulled out the game. So, I think that was probably the part that I was confused about, because obviously that was a fine, but I ain’t never seen [Diggs] get pulled out the game for having eye tape with writing on it.”
Al-Shaair then doubled down on the message, adding that “it’s bigger than me” and focusing his attention Gaza.
The linebacker has been vocal in his opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza. During the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign, Al-Shaair wore cleats recognizing the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Emblazoned on the side of one of the cleats was the word “FREE” in the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The post Houston Texans Player Claimed He Was Told He’d Be Yanked from Game for ‘Stop the Genocide’ Message on His Eye Tape first appeared on Mediaite.
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