NFL threatens more action against Al-Shaair over Palestine messages

• Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is facing further action from the NFL over messages honoring Palestinian children killed in Gaza.
• The league warned him that writing names on his eye black violates rules prohibiting unauthorized personal messages during games.
• Al-Shaair has previously been fined for writing “Stop the genocide” and for displaying the name of Palestinian child Hind Rajab.
• The linebacker has repeatedly used his NFL platform to advocate for Palestinians and humanitarian causes. 

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has been warned by the NFL over messages he has displayed on his eye black honoring Palestinians killed in Gaza, continuing a dispute between the player and the league over political and personal expression during games.

Al-Shaair wrote the name of Palestinian girl Wafaa Akila on his eye black during the Texans' second game of the season. Akila, 8, was killed in Gaza in an airstrike committed ‘Israeli’ forces.

The NFL told Al-Shaair that the message violated its uniform and equipment rules, according to The Athletic. Under the league's rules, players are prohibited from displaying personal messages during game day unless they have been approved in advance by the NFL. 

The warning followed an earlier incident in which Al-Shaair wrote “Hind Rajab” on his eye black during the Texans' season opener. Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza in 2024. The NFL fined Al-Shaair more than $11,000 over the message. 

Al-Shaair has faced league action before. In January, the NFL fined him $11,593 after he wore eye black bearing the words “Stop the genocide” during a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was subsequently warned that he could be removed from a game if he repeated the message. 

The linebacker has nevertheless continued to use his position to draw attention to Palestinians. He has previously participated in the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative, using custom footwear to support Palestinian causes and humanitarian organisations.

“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. 

After his latest fine, NBA star Kyrie Irving offered to pay the penalty. Irving has also publicly supported Palestinian causes and described Al-Shaair's actions as an expression of shared humanity. 

Al-Shaair, who serves as a defensive captain for Houston, has defended his decision to continue displaying the names of Palestinian victims despite the financial penalties.

“You can’t get so lost in your own problems that you can’t have compassion for other people in the world,” he said after the earlier fine. 

The NFL says its restrictions concern unauthorized personal messages on uniforms and equipment rather than the specific political position expressed. The league's rule prohibits players from displaying personal messages without prior approval, including messages relating to political activities and causes.

The dispute has made Al-Shaair one of the more prominent NFL players to publicly advocate for Palestinians, with his on-field tributes repeatedly drawing attention to children killed during the war in Gaza.

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