Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was carted off the field during the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans. The incident occurred after linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair delivered a late, forceful hit as Lawrence was sliding. The Jaguars later announced that Lawrence had sustained a concussion and would not return to the game.

Following the hit, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram confronted Al-Shaair, shoving him as Lawrence lay on the ground. This sparked a confrontation between players from both teams while medical staff tended to Lawrence.

The officials ejected both Al-Shaair and Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones for unnecessary roughness. Engram received a 15-yard penalty for the same infraction but was not ejected. According to referee Land Clark, Al-Shaair was removed for his illegal hit on Lawrence, while Jones was ejected for coming off the bench and throwing a punch. Clark clarified that Engram’s shove did not meet the threshold for disqualification.

Al-Shaair was escorted off the field by coaches and officials after he continued arguing with Jaguars players, particularly offensive lineman Brandon Scherff. On his way out, Al-Shaair exchanged words with Jaguars fans, some of whom threw objects and trash at the linebacker.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans commented on the situation at halftime, telling Fox Sports, “That hit does not reflect who we are as a team.”

Engram explained his reaction after the game, saying his instinct kicked in when he saw the hit on Lawrence. “It was a dirty hit,” Engram said. “When you see your quarterback sliding and then taking a hit like that, you stand up for him. It just felt wrong.”

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud also weighed in, expressing sympathy for Lawrence while defending Al-Shaair. “It was tough seeing Trev go down like that,” Stroud said. “But I don’t think Azeez meant any harm. He needs to be more careful, though.”

The game marked Lawrence’s return after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in Week 9. Before his injury Sunday, he completed 4-of-10 passes for 41 yards and one interception. Backup quarterback Mac Jones stepped in and finished the game with 235 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-32 passing.

After the Texans’ 23-20 victory over the Jaguars, Lawrence exited the locker room with his wife, Marissa. Later that night, he shared a message on social media, thanking fans for their support. “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all,” he wrote.

Al-Shaair’s ejection adds to his recent history of penalties. Less than three months ago, the NFL fined him $11,817 for unnecessary roughness against the Chicago Bears after hitting Caleb Williams near the sideline and throwing a punch during the ensuing altercation. Last week, Al-Shaair was fined $11,255 for a late hit on Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard.

Lawrence, 25, is in his fourth season with Jacksonville and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In the Jaguars’ first nine games this season, he completed 61.3% of his passes for 2,004 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He had played at least 16 games in each of his first three seasons.