Azeez Al-Shaair has been dubbed the ‘dirtiest player’ in the NFL after the Texans star was spotted striking the head of Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey.
Al-Shaair found himself in ‘a dark place’ earlier this season, after his late hit on Trevor Lawrence sparked a brawl and left the Jaguars quarterback with a nasty concussion.
The Texans linebacker was suspended for three games and only returned to action on January 5, for Houston’s regular season finale against the Tennessee тιтans.
One week later, Al-Shaair attracted more controversy as the Texans booked their place in the divisional round of the playoffs with victory over the Chargers.
In a clip that has emerged on social media, McConkey is seen catching a pᴀss from quarterback Justin Herbert before he is tackled by Derek Stingley Jr.
Moments after the 23-year-old hit the floor, Al-Shaair is seen making a punching motion and hitting the receiver’s head.
Azeez Al-Shaair has been dubbed the ‘dirtiest player’ in the NFL after he ‘punched’ a rival
Interesting tactic by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair pic.twitter.com/r7DEBU9HEo
— Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) January 11, 2025 
The Houston Texans linebacker was handed a ban after a vicious hit on Trevor Lawrence
He had to be held back by his Texans teammates as a melee ensued following the hit
‘Dirtiest player in the league,’ one NFL fan wrote on social media. Another called him the ‘Draymond Green of the NFL’ and told the Texans to ‘do better’.
Golden State Warriors star Green has built a reputation for violent antics on the court, which in 2023 led to an indefinite suspension.
‘Just remove him from the league,’ a third fan wrote on X. But many other NFL supporters leapt to Al-Shaair’s defense, insisting he was trying only to punch the ball out of McConkey’s hands.
‘He was clearly going for the ball. Unlike that hit on TLaw this one was accidental,’ one said.
‘Looks like he was punching at the ball… Slow motion makes you forget how fast everything happens,’ another pointed out.
‘In his defense, it looked like he was trying to punch the ball out, but with horrible timing,’ added a third.
