Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit on Jacksonville Jaguars star Trevor Lawrence kicked off a debate about quarterbacks’ tactics when it came to sliding after scrambles.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas weighed in on the debate on Tuesday after the NFL announced a three-game suspension for Al-Shaair. He wrote in a post on X that the league needed to get the so-called “weaponized quarterback slide” out of the sport.
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Former Cleveland Browns player Joe Thomas reports on the sidelines before the game between the Browns and the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland on Dec. 28, 2023. (Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
“As dangerous as hits on a quarterback are when the quarterback chooses to slide, we need to stop allowing quarterbacks to fake slide or late slide in order to gain yardage and confuse the defenders on if the quarterback is sliding or not,” Thomas wrote. “It would go a long way towards taking those terrible hits out of the game and making things more safe for the quarterback and for the defender.
“A late slide, fake slide, or acting like you’re gonna go out of bounds and then skirting forward for a few more yards; these all need to be 15 yard penalties against the offense. And it’s about time the NFL referees started marking the ball down immediately when the quarterback starts to slide… Which is the rule by the way!
“If this happens, the big hits on quarterbacks when they’re sliding will be completely eliminated from the game. That’s what we all want right?”
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides down in front of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, in the second quarter in the second quarter at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
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The play in question occurred late in the second quarter of the Texans and Jaguars’ matchup on Sunday.
Lawrence scrambled for a few yards and then decided to slide. At that same moment, Al-Shaair came in and nailed Lawrence in the head and neck area with his forearm. The hit sparked a brawl between Texans and Jaguars players.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan released a scathing statement about Al-Shaair as the league announced his suspension Tuesday.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, #16, slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, #0, makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union)
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“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL … Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated,” Runyan said in part.
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