Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined after the NFL said he wore an “unauthorized message” on his eye black during the team’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
According to team insider Aaron Wilson, Al-Shaair was docked $11,492 for eye black that read, “Hind Rajab.” Hind Rajab was a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed after being shot multiple times by the Israeli military, along with six family members in Gaza city.
The league does not allow personal, political or memorial messages on eye black or game-day gear, and any unauthorized message triggers an immediate fine.
The incident drew attention beyond the game itself. Hind Rajab was killed on January 29, 2024, after audio recordings surfaced of the five-year-old calling for help. The Israeli military confirmed soldiers fired hundreds of bullets into her family vehicle and said it is conducting an internat criminal investigation into the incident.
This was not the first time Al-Shaair has been fined for a message on his eye black. Wilson noted on X that the linebacker was previously fined $11,593 for writing “Stop The Genocide” on his eye black against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Playoffs.
He had intended to carry that message into the following game against the New England Patriots, but was told he would not be able to play unless it was removed. Al-Shaair took it off after wearing it during pregame drills.
Al-Shaair, who is a devote Muslim and has been outspoken about using his platform to speak out about injustice, now faces the question of whether he keeps making personal statements this season or sticks to the league’s rules. The Texans’ next game is a Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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