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Following his team’s Wild Card Round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair sent a strong message with his eye black, which he put on full display on SportsCenter.
Al-Shaair appeared on SportsCenter following the Texans’ playoff game against the Steelers. His eye black read, “Stop the Genocide” in all capital letters.
Azeez Al-Shaair with “Stop The Genocide” on his face tape during the post-game interview on ESPN pic.twitter.com/A1WG8fvX5h
— nat (@habibiting) January 13, 2026
The statement is about the Israel-Palestine conflict and should not come as a surprise to fans. Al-Shaair, a Muslim, has been outspoken about his support of Palestine for a while now. He has picked the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund for My Cause My Cleats in recent years.
Additionally, Al-Shaair has met with Gaza families that were receiving treatment in Houston. A video posted by HEAL Palestine showed two kids running around with his jersey on.
Speaking with Chron in November 2024, Al-Shaair said, “I feel like it’s something that’s trying to be almost silenced. On either side, people losing their life is not right. In no way, shape or form am I validating anything that happened, but to consistently say that because of [Oct. 7] innocent people [in Gaza] should now die, it’s crazy.”
While there was a ceasefire agreement in October, a New York Times investigation released this week found that Israel is still demolishing Gaza. UNICEF also claims at least 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire went into effect. Al-Shaair’s message comes through loud and clear that he wants the bloodshed to stop.
Al-Shaair was critical in the Texans’ win over the Steelers. He logged six tackles in the game. The Texans’ defense has been one of the best in the NFL all year. They held the Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers to just 175 total yards. They averaged just 3.1 yards per play.
In his second year with the Texans, Al-Shaair had 103 total tackles (48 solo and 55 assists). He also forced and recovered a fumble, and he had a career-high two interceptions. Additionally, he had a career-high nine pass deflections.
This was one of his best seasons, and he was rewarded with his first Pro Bowl nod. Two years earlier in Tennessee, Al-Shaair had a career-best 163 tackles (84 solo and 79 assists), two sacks, and a fumble recovery.
After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Al-Shaair found a home with the San Francisco 49ers. He remained there for four seasons before signing with the Titans. After one year in Tennessee, Al-Shaair joined the Texans. The rest is history. They will now play the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.
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