Azeez Al-Shaair dealt with a great deal of backlash after his late hit against Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Sunday. The Houston Texans got the win, but the linebacker was ejected and later handed a three-game suspension.

Al-Shaair hasn’t only received backlash, but many have gone on to attack his character. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio both publicly defended the linebacker, and they’re constantly around him.

Big names like Tom Brady and JJ Watt, along with some of the most notable pundits, have come out in support of Al-Shaair and tacklers in the NFL in general. Most recently, former star NFL cornerback Richard Sherman made his opinion regarding the Houston linebacker known.
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“Well, first off, you know, thankful that Trevor is okay,” Sherman explained on his podcast. “But Azeez is a really, really good guy. As pure of a football player as I’ve ever known. …You did not make it all the way to the National Football League by trying to injure people.”

Sherman, who knows Al-Shaair, has nothing but good things to say about him. Was the late hit dirty? Absolutely. Was it intentional? It’s hard to imagine that’s the case. And to assume such is also painting the linebacker a certain way, which is a bit unfair to him.

Again, it’s a relief that Lawrence is okay. It’s also appropriate not to slam Al-Shaair or paint him to be some sort of villain when he was trying to make a football play.