The NFL fined Azeez Al-Shaair again for an eye-black message. After writing “Hind Rajab” under his eyes during Houston’s Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, which the Texans lost 36-31, the NFL cited Rule 6, Section 4, Article 8 to justify the $11,492 penalty. All of a sudden, though, NBA star Kyrie Irving, who embraced Islam in 2021, has offered to pay up.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I’ll take care of his fine,” Irving wrote on X, responding to a post from Texans and NFL insider Aaron Wilson.
Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl, lost her life along with six members of her family when their car was hit by heavy fire in Gaza City in 2024.
NFL rules prohibit players from “wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration” without the league’s advance approval. This also applies to pre-game warmups and postgame interviews. Al-Shaair’s first penalty was $11,593 for writing “stop the genocide” on his eye black during the wild-card win at Pittsburgh in January.
Al-Shaair also attempted to wear the same message during pre-game warmups before Houston’s divisional-round matchup against the New England Patriots. But he had to remove it before kickoff after being told he wouldn’t be allowed to play if he kept the message on. At the time, 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.”
Al-Shaair has also helped Palestinians by wearing cleats to support their cause through the NFL’s “My Cause, My Cleats” program. He said that if he could use his platform to bring “even a little hope” to the families, “that is what I want to use it for.”
In 2024, the NFL sent a memo reminding teams of rules regarding “personal messages” after fining 49ers player Nick Bosa $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat after the game. George Pickens was also fined $10,321 for writing “always f*cking open” on his eye black.
Al-Shaair earned his Pro Bowl selection following the 2025 season, when he recorded 103 total tackles, nine passes defended and two interceptions. He also won the Texans’ 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Al-Shaair receiving support from Kyrie Irving was not fully unexpected.
In 2023, Irving showed up at a press conference wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of solidarity with Palestine among activists. No one asked about his getup, and he didn’t comment. Around the same time, the Dallas Mavericks posted a practice image of Irving wearing sneakers with “No More Genocide” written on them. This had happened only a year after Irving parted ways with NIKE.
The veteran had posted a link on his social media account to a book and a movie containing antisemitic messaging, and NIKE co-founder Phil Knight declared that Irving had “stepped over the line.” Irving refused to apologize, and the Nets even suspended him for five games, saying he was “unfit to be associated” with them.
A month later, Irving made it clear that he wouldn’t “stand down” on his beliefs.
“We’re in 2022. It’s on Amazon: public platform,” Irving told the media. “Whether you want to go watch it or not is up to you. There’s things being posted every day. I’m no different than the next human being, so don’t treat me any different. You come in here and make up this powerful influence that I have over the top [and say], ‘You cannot post that.’ Why not? Why not? Everybody posts everything else.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Irving refused to get vaccinated but said he was “not an advocate for either side” and that it was primarily a health choice. As a result, he was barred from playing or practicing in Brooklyn for much of the 2021-22 season. He later revealed that it cost him a four-year extension worth over $100 million.
Irving has long been someone who hasn’t hesitated to express his thoughts, even if they might offend others.
Beyond helping Al-Shaair, Irving is focused on making a strong return after missing the entire 2025-26 season. The veteran has been seen training with his Dallas teammates in recent weeks and is fully recovered from a torn ACL.