NFL Superstar Accused Of Supporting Hamas Over Message Written On Eyeblack

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair injected Middle East politics into Sunday’s Wild Card blowout by writing “stop the genocide” across his eye black during the team’s 30-6 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Houston’s defense dominated the game, burying quarterback Aaron Rodgers with four sacks, forcing a fumble and scoring on a pick-six as the Texans cruised into the next round.

But it was Al-Shaair’s on-field message, visible during a postgame SportsCenter interview with Scott Van Pelt, that quickly drew attention. With his helmet off, the slogan was plainly visible, echoing language widely used by pro-Palestinian activist groups in response to Israel’s war with Hamas.

The current war began after Hamas carried out a surprise terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing civilians and taking hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. A ceasefire was signed in October 2025, though tensions and intermittent clashes remain.

Houston Texans LB & devout Muslim, Azeez Al-Shaair wore anti-Israel eyeblack tonight vs Steelers that says “Stop the Genocide”

Al-Shaair, one of the league’s dirtiest players, has also worn “Free Palestine” cleats in a game.

A player openly supporting Hamas is a bad look… pic.twitter.com/hmU68t9jsK

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) January 13, 2026

Al-Shaair has previously used NFL platforms to promote the same cause.

During the league’s My Cause My Cleats campaign last season, he wore shoes decorated with Palestinian flag colors, Islamic scripture and statistics about Palestinian casualties. The cleats raised money for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Explaining the display at the time, Al-Shaair told the Houston Chronicle: “I feel like it’s something that’s trying to be almost silenced.

“On either side, people losing their life is not right. In no way, shape or form am I validating anything that happened, but to consistently say that because of [Oct. 7] innocent people [in Gaza] should now die, it’s crazy.

“[Other people] try to make a disconnect and dehumanize people over there. And it’s like, they’re human beings. Being a Muslim, we see everybody the same; Black, White, Spanish, whatever you are; you can be orange, like, we’re all human beings.”

Inside the Texans’ locker room, Al-Shaair has spoken openly about his faith and says it has helped him build relationships with teammates, including Anderson.

“I’m a Christian through and through, but I also think it’s very important to see how other people … think and how they feel about certain things,” Anderson said.

Al-Shaair added: “I’m open about my faith and I use my faith and the things I’ve experienced in conversations with guys and the same for him.

“So, every time we talked we were always hitting on the same cylinder, like dang that’s exactly how I feel … so, I feel like it just worked out perfectly.”

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