NFL threatens Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair over messaging: Here's what the rulebook says

The league is annoyed by Al-Shaair using his eye black for political awareness

Sep 26, 2026 at 3:09 pm ET • 2 min read

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is facing potential action from the NFL after violating the league's uniform and equipment policy for displaying unauthorized personal statements on his eye black during each of his team's first two games this season.

Houston's leading tackler last fall, Al-Shaair displayed the name of a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza on his face during the season opener before writing "Wafaa Akila" on his eye black in Week 2. Wafaa Akila was the name of an 8-year-old Palestinian girl killed by an Israeli airstrike this month, according to Reuters.

The Athletic reported that the NFL warned Al-Shaair that his personal messaging on his eye black is in violation of Rule 5, Section 4 of the rulebook:

"For any other violation of this Section 4 (e.g., wristbands and mouthpieces that are not League-approved, towel with a personal message, impermissible headwear under the helmet) that is discovered while the player is in the game, player will be advised to make appropriate correction at the next change of possession; if the violation is not corrected, player will not be permitted to enter the game."

An NFL official reportedly informed Al-Shaair, a Muslim, that he would be removed from last week's game if he did not remove "Wafaa Akila" from his eye black. This comes via an anonymous source to The Athletic.

Al-Shaair was fined in Week 1 for his eye black, but not in Week 2.

The NFL last season fined Al-Shaair $11,593 for a violation during the Texans' wild card playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers for writing "stop the genocide" on his eye black.

He has supported the "Free Palestine" movement in past seasons through the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative, which permits players to highlight social issues and nonprofit organizations during select games.

"If my platform can bring even a little hope to families in Palestine, then that is what I want to use it for," Al-Shaair said last season.

NFL players are routinely fined for wearing cleats that violate league dress code rules by color, but Al-Shaair's messaging on his eye black appears to be exclusive to him — a way of bringing awareness to personal political beliefs.

Al-Shaair was fined in Week 1 after writing "Hind Rajab" on his eye black. Hind Rajab was a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed with her family in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces in 2024.

NBA star Kyrie Irving tweeted this month that he would pay the fine for Al-Shaair.

"It's bigger to me. Is a life worth $11,000? I think it's priceless," Al-Shaair said last week when asked about the penalty. "You can't get so lost in your own problems that you can't have compassion for other people in the world. … I think the biggest thing is me and him (Irving) align on the cause, which is humanity. We both care about humanity, regardless of skin color, race, anything like that. That's what I think more than anything, when it comes to me and him, that we align on, and just not being afraid to do that.

"We don't have to have all the answers to everything to know that an innocent man, an innocent woman, an innocent child losing her life is not right. I don't need anybody to gaslight me into saying that, well, you've got to ask. I just know that's not right, whether they're here in America or somewhere halfway across the world."

A defensive captain for the Texans, Al-Shaair was the team's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award honoree in 2025.