A right-wing commentator has called for NFL fans to boycott the league after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was seen wearing what the commentator described as a “pro-terrorism message” on his cleats during Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The controversy began when fans noticed Al-Shaair’s cleats displayed a pro-Palestine message during the heated matchup.
This drew significant backlash, particularly in light of an earlier incident during the same game, in which Al-Shaair delivered a brutal hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The hit left Lawrence motionless on the turf and led to a bench-clearing brawl, ultimately resulting in Al-Shaair’s ejection from the game.
The political message on Al-Shaair’s cleats, combined with the violent hit on Lawrence, did not sit well with many fans and commentators. Among the critics was Nick Adams, an Australian-born right-wing commentator and self-proclaimed alpha male. Adams took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his outrage, writing, “Azeez Al-Shaair wears pro-terrorism messages on his cleats and faces no consequences. Nick Bosa wears a MAGA hat in a postgame interview and he gets fined the maximum amount by the NFL. Boycott the NFL.”
Adams was referring to the $11,255 fine issued to San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa earlier in the season for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a live postgame interview. Adams’ comments highlighted what he viewed as a double standard in the NFL’s treatment of players expressing their political beliefs.
The incident took place during the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign, a program that allows players to wear custom-designed cleats during Weeks 13 and 14 to support causes that are important to them. Al-Shaair, a practicing Muslim, chose to use his cleats to bring attention to the situation in Palestine.
The Tampa-born linebacker, 27, had the word “Free” written on the outside of his cleats, in red and green—colors associated with Palestine. Additionally, the cleats featured messages written along the sides. One cleat read, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return,” while the other included the message, “At least 41,788 Palestinians killed. 10,000+ estimated to be under the rubble. 96,794 wounded.”
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The political nature of Al-Shaair’s cleats sparked a firestorm on social media, with many fans criticizing his choice to use an NFL game as a platform for his views. One fan wrote, “Ooh now I really hate him,” while another urged the NFL to suspend Al-Shaair for his actions. However, there were also those who defended him, with some users commenting, “Religion of peace.”
The debate over Al-Shaair’s cleats drew comparisons to Nick Bosa’s recent fine for wearing a MAGA hat. Several fans questioned whether Al-Shaair would face similar punishment for his political message, with many accusing the NFL of having inconsistent standards when it comes to penalizing players for expressing their beliefs.
The game itself was already tense before the controversy over Al-Shaair’s cleats came to light. Earlier, Al-Shaair made headlines for a vicious hit on Trevor Lawrence that left the Jaguars quarterback motionless on the field. Lawrence was running for a first down and slid to give himself up when Al-Shaair delivered a hard hit to Lawrence’s upper body and helmet.
The hit led to an immediate confrontation, with Jaguars tight end Evan Engram being the first to shove Al-Shaair, quickly escalating into a full-blown brawl involving players from both teams.
Lawrence was carted off the field but appeared to be alert as he left. He was later ruled out of the game with a concussion, and backup quarterback Mac Jones stepped in to replace him.
The brutal hit on Lawrence has raised concerns about the long-term impact on the quarterback’s health, with experts weighing in on social media. Chris Nowinski, founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, shared his concerns on X, saying, “Trevor Lawrence suffered a significant traumatic brain injury (#TBI) here. He shows a clear ‘fencing response,’ which means he is knocked out with a #concussion & deeper parts of his brain are malfunctioning. Wishing him the best.”
The chaos following the hit saw Al-Shaair being ejected from the game, and he needed to be escorted off the field by stadium security and Texans personnel. As Al-Shaair made his way to the locker room, fans at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville pelted him with garbage, underscoring the heated emotions on display. Before leaving, Al-Shaair got into a shouting match with Jaguars offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, which nearly led to a second altercation.
Jacksonville’s Jarrian Jones was also ejected from the game, while Engram received a 15-yard penalty for instigating the fight with Al-Shaair.
The events of Sunday have cast a shadow over what was already a hard-fought divisional game, with both the violent hit on Lawrence and the political controversy surrounding Al-Shaair’s cleats dominating the headlines.
As the NFL looks to respond to the incidents, questions remain about how the league will handle players’ expressions of their political beliefs and the consistency of punishments issued.
For Al-Shaair, the scrutiny over both his hit on Lawrence and the messages on his cleats will likely continue in the days to come, as fans, commentators, and league officials weigh in on the controversy.
