NFL Quietly Fines Azeez Al-Shaair For 'Genocide' Message One Day After Other Fines Handed Out
League source tells OutKick the Texans linebacker who wore pro-Gaza message on eyeblack during wildcard game has been fined
The NFL announces a vast majority of its fines – all 376 of them this season through Wildcard Weekend – every Saturday and posts them on its operations website for transparency. But Saturday came and went, and the league announced no fine for Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
Al-Shaair last week clearly violated the league's rule against posting or wearing personal messages, but there was no announcement from the NFL of a fine on Saturday, according to the league's own site.
But despite not publicizing it, the NFL, in fact, has fined Al-Shaair.
NFL Fines Al-Shaair For Personal Message
The NFL told OutKick on Sunday morning that it fined Azeez Al-Shaair $11,593 for a violation of the NFL uniform and equipment rules for wearing eyeblack that contained a personal message.
Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of the NFL rules states: "Throughout the period on game day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office."
Al-Shaair wore eyeblack during the Wildcard game against the Pittsburgh Steelers inscribed with the slogan "Stop The Genocide."
Obviously, Al-Shaair's pro-Gaza and anti-Israel messaging is not approved by the league.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 12: (L-R) Azeez al-Shaair #0 of the Houston Texans and Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers shake hands after an NFL wild card playoff game at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Al-Shaair And Bosa Now Both Fined
But when no fine was announced on Saturday, there was intrigue because the NFL last year fined San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa for wearing a MAGA hat during a postgame interview on NBC after a Sunday Night Football game.
The NFL treated that Bosa fine somewhat differently. The fine was reported and publicized even on NFL.com.
So on Saturday, it seemed as if the NFL had fined Bosa for his pro-Maga hat but not fined Al-Shaair for his pro-Gaza slogan – a double standard.
That is obviously not the case following Sunday's news.
Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; The NFL shield logo at midfield at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Explanation From NFL
And there's an explanation from the league that explains the issue.
An NFL spokesman told OutKick that the accountability site is for on-field discipline and does not include uniform violations.
Interestingly, the story of Al-Shaair's fine has not made the vast media rounds like Bosa's did.
Only OutKick and ESPN have so far reported the fine on Sunday.