NFL fans divided over Azeez Al-Shaair "punching" Ladd McConkey - "Dirtiest player," "Completely unintentional"

A few weeks ago, Azeez Al-Shaair grabbed the attention of the NFL world in a negative way. The Houston Texans linebacker was involved in a controversial play with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and was suspended for three games due to his role in the incident.

Al-Shaair returned from suspension in Week 18, and he's back to his role as one of the starter linebackers for the Texans. On Saturday, during the AFC Wild Card Round 32-12 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, he was once again involved in a controversial play during the game, now with wide receiver Ladd McConkey.

NFL fans were divided about whether a late punch from the linebacker was another dirty play or just a regular punch to strip the football. The play of the video merits its own conclusions:

"Just remove him from the league", said one fan.

"Chargers fan here. He was going for the ball. Nothing to see here. Move on", said another.

"He should be kicked out of the league" was another take.

Azeez Al-Shaair's hit on Trevor Lawrence during Jaguars vs. Texans became a three-game suspension

During their Week 13 game, Lawrence 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, the Texans' linebacker 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, with the Jaguars already out of the playoff picture, his season was over. The league came hard on Al-Shaair after the play and kept him out of action for three games.

The linebacker felt that the suspension was too harsh, insisting that he wasn't a dirty player and appealing for a reduction in the number of games, but his appeal was denied. He's an important member in Houston's defense, and his return was welcomed during a difficult time in the season.