Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was carted off Sunday with what was later ruled a concussion, after a huge hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that led to the ejection from EverBank Stadium field.
After Lawrence scrambled on first down with just over 4 minutes to play in the half he tried sliding to avoid the hit, but as he went down Al-Shaair launched into Lawrence’s head and neck area. Lawrence was able to sit upright and left the game on a cart. He was 4-for-10 with 41 passing yards and an interception in the game. The Jaguars later ruled him out with a concussion, with backup Mac Jones taking over at quarterback.
The hit from Al-Shaair sparked a brawl between the teams and also led to the ejection of Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones from the game, which the Texans went on to win, 23-20. Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was also penalized for unnecessary roughness for his role in the ensuing fight. After the ejections, Al-Shaair was escorted off the field by a police officer, with multiple Texans staffers and his teammate Will Anderson Jr. Al-Shaair jawed with fans as he approached the tunnel.
After the game, Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard spoke about team unity: “That’s our brother. We ride out for each other. It’s not a team — we’re not gonna splinter off, and you saw it. Jarrion got ejected. He’s a rookie out there throwing punches. You love to see that, honestly. You hate it for his wallet. But that’s the type of team we’ve got.”
Editorial credit: April Visuals / Shutterstock.com