Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 by the NFL after wearing eye black featuring the political message “stop the genocide” during the Texans’ wild-card playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Monday, according to ESPN.

Al-Shaair displayed the message both during the game and in a postgame interview on SportsCenter, which the league determined violated its uniform and equipment policy. NFL rules prohibit players from wearing eye black or other equipment that includes personal or political messages unless prior approval is granted by the league office.

The message referenced the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, a humanitarian issue Al-Shaair has spoken about publicly in the past. The linebacker, who is Muslim, has previously used the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative to draw attention to the conflict and advocate for the protection of civilian lives.

During the national anthem before the Jan. 12, 2026 matchup against the Steelers, Al-Shaair’s eye black clearly displayed the phrase, drawing attention both in the stadium and on television broadcasts. Images of the moment circulated widely on social media following the game.

Speaking to the Houston Chronicle during the 2024 season, Al-Shaair expressed frustration over what he perceives as a lack of empathy surrounding the conflict.

“I feel like it’s something that’s trying to be almost silenced,” Al-Shaair said. “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.”

He also addressed the broader issue of dehumanization in political discourse.

“People try to create a disconnect and dehumanize those over there,” he continued. “They’re human beings. As a Muslim, we see everybody the same—Black, white, Hispanic, whatever you are. At the end of the day, we’re all human beings.”

The fine represents the latest example of the NFL enforcing its long-standing restrictions on political expression through player attire. Last season, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was fined $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat while interrupting teammate Brock Purdy’s on-field, postgame interview. That incident occurred just weeks before the 2024 presidential election, which resulted in Donald Trump returning to office.

According to Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of the NFL rulebook, players are prohibited from displaying or conveying personal messages—whether written or illustrated—while visible to fans or broadcast audiences on game day. This includes pregame warmups, time on the sideline, and postgame interviews, unless explicit approval is given by the league.

Despite the controversy, Al-Shaair continues to enjoy the most successful season of his professional career. The 28-year-old linebacker, now in his seventh NFL season, earned his first Pro Bowl selection after recording 103 tackles and nine passes defended during the regular season, according to Pro-Football-Reference.

He followed that performance with a strong showing in the playoffs, tallying six total tackles and a tackle for loss in Houston’s dominant 30–6 win over the Steelers. That victory advanced the Texans to the AFC Divisional Round, where they are set to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

The winner of that matchup will move on to the AFC Championship Game to face the Denver Broncos. Denver advanced after an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills, though they will be without star quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a fractured right ankle and has been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason.