Overview
- The $11,593 penalty followed Al-Shaair’s Wild Card appearance with the message visible on eye black, a fine the NFL’s chief spokesman confirmed.
- Before the Divisional Round, he again displayed the message on the sideline but removed it for play, with no additional discipline announced so far.
- Al-Shaair said he accepted the fine and described the issue as “bigger than me,” emphasizing humanitarian concerns in his remarks to reporters.
- He said he was told he could be pulled from the Patriots game if he wore the message during play, a warning he said influenced his in-game compliance.
- The action was enforced under Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8; coverage noted prior precedent including Nick Bosa’s 2024 fine, and fines are directed to NFL charitable foundations.