NFL’s Jon Runyan Criticizes Al-Shaair’s Actions—Is This the Same Player Who Once Delivered a Flying Headbutt?

When the Houston Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair knocked Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Sunday’s game with a late hit that many deemed dirty, people had thoughts. Outrage was (rightly) plentiful, including among NFL legends.

Jon Runyan is the NFL’s vice president of policy and rules administration, and it’s his job to weigh in on controversial plays like the hit on Lawrence. Per ESPN, Runyan dropped the hammer on the Texans linebacker:

Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL. Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.

Strong wording, but maybe it’s called for since Al-Shaair has already been fined twice in 2024 for conduct on the field before Sunday’s hit on Lawrence. Runyan takes a strong stance, but fans have been quick to point out that the hypocrisy is strong with Runyan, too.

Why? It’s because Jon Runyan is the same guy who did this:

It’s entirely possible that Runyan was inspired by Roman Reigns and hoped for a WWE career after his playing days were over. There’s no doubt that what Al-Shaair did was well over the line and deserves accountability. But to have the guy who launched himself like a missile after the play was dead saying it is slightly comical.

Regardless, Al-Shaair didn’t help himself with his actions after the hit. A brawl erupted between the Texans and Jaguars in the middle of the field. During it, the linebacker didn’t appear very remorseful for his actions. On his way off the field, Al-Shaair even sparred with Jacksonville fans. Not the actions you want to be taking if you’re hoping to avoid suspension.

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The NFL moved quickly on Al-Shaair’s hit, suspending the Houston defender for three games on Tuesday. Ian Rappaport and other NFL insiders reported on the news Tuesday morning.

To his credit, Al-Shaair posted an apology and explanation to X on Monday, where he appeared to be (mostly) sorry for his actions. He also stated that he understood why the Jaguars players came to the defense of Lawrence on the field. To be fair, so does pretty much anyone else who watched the hit.

As for Lawrence, he left Sunday’s game with a concussion. Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson said the team would wait until Lawrence cleared concussion protocol before taking the next steps. However, he did not say that shutting Lawrence down for the rest of the 2024 season was out of the question. That would make Mac Jones the one in line to keep the Jaguars from picking first overall yet again.