Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair made headlines during the team’s wild-card win over the Steelers - not just for his play, but for a message he wore on his eye black: “stop the genocide.” The NFL has since fined Al-Shaair $11,593 for violating the league’s longstanding policy against displaying personal messages during games.
Interestingly, that fine didn’t appear among the official list of player fines released after the wild-card round. That’s because the NFL’s weekly fine announcements typically focus on violations of on-field playing rules - things like unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct - not uniform or equipment infractions tied to personal expression.
Al-Shaair again wore the same message on his eye black during pregame warmups ahead of the Texans’ divisional-round matchup against the Patriots, though he removed it before kickoff. The message was visible on TV during warmups, which still falls under the league’s jurisdiction for fines, according to the rulebook.
To understand the league’s stance, you have to look at the NFL rulebook - specifically Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8. It lays out clear restrictions: players are prohibited from wearing or displaying personal messages during any time they’re visible to fans or cameras on game day, unless those messages have been pre-approved by the league.
That includes everything from pregame warmups to postgame interviews. The rule makes exceptions for certain commemorative items - like patches or decals honoring individuals or team events - but even those require prior league approval.
And anything tied to political causes, non-football events, or charities? Those are off-limits unless explicitly approved, and even then, they must be modest, non-commercial, and non-controversial.
Al-Shaair, who has publicly supported Palestinian causes in the past - including during the league’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign - made it clear he understood the consequences. After Sunday’s game, he told reporters he expected to be fined again and had been warned that wearing the message during the game itself could’ve resulted in his removal from the field.
“At the end of the day, it’s bigger than me,” Al-Shaair said. “But things that are going on make people uncomfortable.
Imagine how those people feel. I think that’s the biggest thing.
I have no affiliation, no connection to these people, other than the fact that I’m a human being.”
His comments weren’t just about the fine - they were about consistency. Al-Shaair pointed out that other players, including Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, have worn messages on their eye black without apparent consequence. And he’s not wrong - more players have been seen doing so in recent years, even as the league continues to enforce its policy selectively.
This isn’t the first time the NFL has handed down fines for personal messages. Back in 2024, the league fined 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat on the field after a game in late October. That fine came after the presidential election and served as another reminder of how the league handles political expression - with a firm hand, regardless of the message.
The league’s policy has been in place for decades. You can trace it all the way back to the 1985 playoffs, when Bears quarterback Jim McMahon was fined $5,000 for writing a message on his headband. The NFL has long drawn a hard line between football and personal expression, especially when it comes to political or social issues.
What remains unclear is how consistently the rule is enforced. Because the league doesn’t always publicly announce fines related to personal messages, it’s hard to know which players have been disciplined - or which ones have been granted exceptions. That lack of transparency continues to raise questions among players and fans alike.
For Al-Shaair, the fine was expected. The message, he says, was worth it. And as more players use their platforms to speak out, the league may find itself facing more questions about where - and how - it draws the line.