Azeez Al-Shaair may not have to pay his latest NFL fine himself. Kyrie Irving has publicly offered to cover the Houston Texans linebacker’s penalty after the league fined him for an unauthorized message on his eye black.
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“I’ll take care of his fine,” Irving wrote on X, responding to a post from Texans and NFL insider Aaron Wilson about Al-Shaair’s latest penalty.
Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 for displaying “Hind Rajab” on his eye black during Houston’s Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The Texans lost the game 36-31, and the NFL determined that the message violated its rules regarding unauthorized personal messages displayed by players.
Irving’s post came after the fine was reported, but he did not publicly provide a timetable or details of a payment arrangement. His wording, however, was direct: “I’ll take care of his fine.”
Another NFL Fine Follows a Similar Incident
The latest penalty is not Al-Shaair’s first fine for an unauthorized message. Last season, the NFL fined him $11,593 after he wore eye black displaying “Stop the Genocide” during Houston’s Wild Card playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Al-Shaair later attempted to wear the same message during pregame before Houston’s divisional-round matchup against the New England Patriots. He removed it before kickoff after being told he would not be allowed to play if he kept the message on his eye black.
Following that game, Al-Shaair explained his reasoning.
“At the end of the day, it’s bigger than me,” he said. “The 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.”
The NFL’s latest fine again came specifically over the unauthorized message, with reporting noting that players must receive league approval before displaying personal messages.
Al-Shaair has also been recognized for his work away from football. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection following the 2025 season, when he recorded 103 total tackles, nine passes defended and two interceptions. He was also the Texans’ 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner.
Irving has now entered the story with his public offer to cover Al-Shaair’s $11,492 penalty. As of the initial reports, Irving had publicly offered to pay, but no completed payment had been publicly confirmed.
The fine was not the only penalty handed down following Houston’s Week 1 loss to Buffalo. Other Texans players were also fined for various violations, but Al-Shaair’s case has drawn additional attention because of Irving’s public offer to cover the cost.
For Al-Shaair, the latest penalty followed his display of a message the NFL deemed unauthorized under its uniform policy. Now, with Irving offering to cover the financial penalty, the focus shifts to whether the NBA star follows through on his public commitment.