Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was carted off Sunday after a dirty hit from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair left him sprawled on the EverBank Stadium field.
The hit sparked a brawl between the teams and led to the ejection of Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones from the Texans’ 23-20 win. Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was also penalized for unnecessary roughness for his role in the ensuing fight.
Lawrence eventually left the field sitting upright on a cart. He was ruled out of the game shortly thereafter with a head injury. Backup Mac Jones took over at quarterback.
The hit took place in the second quarter as Houston held a 6-0 lead. Lawrence scrambled on second-and-7 near midfield and slid near the line of gain. As Lawrence slid, Al-Shaair dove headfirst and made direct contact to Lawrence’s upper body.
A flag was immediately thrown. Al-Shaair’s first response was to protest the penalty before he was immediately hit by Engram. A brawl ensued and spilled over onto the Jaguars’ sideline.
Al-Shaair and two of his teammates were swarmed by Jaguars before officials eventually subdued the melee. Lawrence remained lying face-up on the field before the fight settled. He was eventually able to stand up before leaving the field on a cart.
Once the initial fight settled, Jaguars guard Brandon Scherff approached Al-Shaair, and another scuffle ensued. After the ejections, Al-Shaair was escorted off the field by a police officer, multiple Texans staffers and his teammate Will Anderson Jr. Al-Shaair jawed with fans as he approached the tunnel.
Fans pelted Al-Shaair with objects as he left the field, according to the CBS broadcast. The game then resumed with Jones at quarterback for Jacksonville.
Jacksonville fell behind 23-6 but Jones threw a pair of touchdown passes to Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. in the fourth quarter before Texans running back Joe Mixon converted a third down and Houston ran out the clock.
Jones finished 20 of 32 for 235 yards and the two touchdowns in relief of Lawrence, while Washington had six catches for 103 yards. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud went 22 of 34 for 242 yards and a TD, Mixon rushed 20 times for 101 yards and a TD, and Nico Collins caught eight passes for 119 yards.
Postgame reactions to hit
After the game, Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard spoke about team unity and applauded Jones for coming to Lawrence’s defense in the post-hit melee.
“That’s our brother,” Wingard said of Lawrence. “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.”
Engram called it a “dirty hit.”
“Trev was going down,” Engram said. “I saw it out of my peripheral, I got a pretty clear view of it. In that moment, instincts — it just didn’t feel like a clean hit, so I just stick up for my quarterback. …
“I just knew it was wrong. Because it’s a dirty play. You stick up for your guys. That’s how it goes.”
In the Texans locker room, quarterback C.J. Stroud defended Al-Shaair while sending well wishes to Lawrence.
“I really hope and pray he’s OK,” Stroud said of Lawrence. “Prayers to his family as well. Still rocking with Azeez. I don’t think that was his intent.
“I pray that Trevor’s OK.”
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson called the hit “a play that has no business in our league.”