The debate on Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s suspension is getting more heated! And, Jon Runyan, VP, Policy and Rules Administration is also facing criticism for his verdict. Many players have come forth to express their dichotomous views. The bandwagon also includes Kurt Benkert, the former QB who shared the Packers locker room with Aaron Rodgers in the 2021 season.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Kurt Benkert re-shared the viral video featuring Jon Runyan. In this resurfaced video, Runyan delivers a ‘flying headbutt’ to a San Francisco 49ers player. It was while he played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Captioning this video, Aaron Rodgers’s former teammate wrote, “The irony of it all is THIS is the guy handing out these suspensions and fines ☕️🐸.” He posted this as a response to Mike Garafolo’s post, announcing the suspension of Al-Shaair. That included NFL VP Jon Runyan’s statement.

In his statement to Al-Shaair, Runyan posted his condemnation for his actions, as he stated,  “Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.” He tagged it as a “lack of sportsmanship” in Al-Shaair, as it contrasted starkly with the NFL’s “core values.”

The entire fiasco unfolded in the fourth quarter, as Al-Shaair ended up striking Lawrence in the head and neck area. The NFL called it a “forceful,” “violent,” and “unnecessary” hit while adding that he had enough time to avoid the contact.

However, Texans’s Al-Shaair has also posted an apology on his account, adding, “I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them, especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.‘” But amidst this, Runyan’s statement is also drawing attention to his past, where his hands were not entirely clean.

The controversial legacy of Jon Runyan pointed out by Rodgers’ ex-teammate

While Runyan has been in the NFL’s compliance role since 2016, he also has a notorious tag attached to his name.He gained a reputation as one of the league’s dirtiest players. A 2006 poll ranked him as the second-dirtiest player, just behind Rodney Harrison.

Moreover, across his 14-year-long career as an NFL player, Runyan was infamous for tripping opponents, playing borderline tactics, and even stepping on their feet. Aaron Rodgers’s ex-teammate pointed out the issue well. But, despite that, Runyan has tried to uphold views on fairness.

Back in 2022, he even took to find his son, Packers guard Jon Runyan Jr. And, he did not show any partiality towards him, as he remarked, “Your job is to protect the players and the integrity of the game.” But, owing to his controversial past, many players and key experts have come forth as they are questioning the wording of Runyan’s statement that he has issued regarding Al-Shaair’s suspension, especially the irony of his disciplinary stance.

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