Ban him from the league! - NFL fans call out Azeez Al-Shaair after Texans LB embraces 'villain' role on Instagram

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair appealed his three-game suspension for a hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but appeals officer Ramon Foster decided to keep the linebacker out of the game. The appeal was held on Wednesday.

Al-Shaair posted a public apology to the quarterback after the incident, stating that it was never his intention to hurt anyone while playing the game. But public opinion remains torn on him, and the news that his suspension was upheld sparked a new wave of criticism from NFL fans over the hit.

Al-Shaair, in response, took to social media to respond. He posted a picture of the Joker with the caption "If you want me to be your villain, I'll be your villain. See you soon", proving that he was ready to embrace the role.

NFL fans could not believe the post and again criticized the Texans defender, especially as his apology started to feel insincere after the Joker post:

"Nothing says “I shouldn’t have been suspended” like posting the Joker", said one fan.

"Hey, he's the victim here! All he did was almost cripple someone, and now he lost some money! Poor him!", said another fan.

"Why does he act like it wasn’t the worst hit in the past 10 years", a third fan noted.

What happened between Azeez Al-Shaair and Trevor Lawrence?

During their Week 13's game, the Jaguars quarterback started to scramble after a broken play, and after approaching another defender, he began to slide, which, per rule, is a signal that the quarterback is giving up on the play.

As he was still sliding, Al-Shaair came into the picture with a full stem hit on the quarterback, who was hit on the pectoral but hit his head on the turf heavily, causing a concussion.

It was an illegal hit and sparked a massive brawl between the two teams. Lawrence suffered a concussion and, on Wednesday, was placed on the injured reserve. His season is over. The linebacker will serve a suspension over the next three games and be available to return in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens.