After the NFL fined Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for his eye black that honored a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli military, NBA star Kyrie Irving extended an olive branch.
Irving responded to Aaron Wilson's post about Al-Shaair's fine, saying, âÂÂIâÂÂll take care of his fine.â It's unknown whether or not the Texans linebacker will take him up on his offer.
Why was Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair fined for his eye black?
Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 by the NFL for inscribing âÂÂHind Rajabâ on his eye black. His message was meant to honor a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by the Israeli military in 2024.
However, this was not the first instance of the linebacker being fined for a message on his eye black. He previously wrote âÂÂStop The Genocideâ on his eye black before the Texans' playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, resulting in a $11,593 fine.
The fine didn't stop Al-Shaair before, so expect him to continue writing messages on his eye black in the Texans' future games. Their next game is against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Texans lost their Week 1 season opener against the Buffalo Bills in dramatic fashion. Josh Allen passed for 334 yards and two touchdowns, adding another two touchdowns on the ground.
Al-Shaair led his team with eight total tackles (five solo, three assists). He had one tackle for loss in the contest. He had one of his most impressive seasons in 2025.
During the regular season, he logged 103 total tackles (48 solo, 55 assists). He also forced a fumble, intercepted a pass, and defended nine passes. His best statistical season was 2023, when he was still with the Tennessee Titans. That season, he logged 163 tackles (84 solo, 79 assists), two sacks, and a fumble recovery.