Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair said he “understood what he was doing” and knew a fine was coming after wearing “stop the genocide” eye black.

Al-Shaair first wore the eye black during Houston’s wild-card win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, for which he was reportedly fined $11,593. He used it again during the Texans’ 28-16 divisional-round loss to the New England Patriots, but only in warmups.

The Pro Bowler said that he was told he would get pulled from Sunday’s game if he wore the tape with the message.

“I understand it’s a fine. … At the end of the day, it’s bigger than me,” Al-Shaair said. “The things that are going on make people uncomfortable, (so) imagine how those people feel. I have no affiliation or connection to these people other than the fact that I’m a human being. If you have a heart and you’re a human being, then you can see what’s going on in the world.

“When I’m walking off this field, that’s the type of stuff that I’m thinking about that I have to check myself when I’m sitting here crying about football when there’s people dying every single day.”

Al-Shaair flashed last Monday’s message in a postgame interview on “SportsCenter,” which violates section 4, article 8 of the NFL rulebook. The policy prohibits players from showing personal messages on game day.

The message referenced the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a cause Al-Shaair has repeatedly highlighted through the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” program. Al-Shaair, who is a practicing Muslim, has consistently spoken out about the human toll of the fighting and regularly shares updates and commentary on social media. On Sunday, he posted two stories on his Instagram related to the conflict.

“I feel like it’s something that’s trying to be almost silenced,” Al-Shaair told the Houston Chronicle during the 2024 season. “On either side, people losing their lives is not right. In no way, shape or form am I validating anything that happened, but to consistently say that because of (the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas), innocent people (in Gaza) should now die, it’s crazy.”

CAIR-Houston, the largest Muslim civil rights group in the U.S., praised Al-Shaair’s actions last week and also released a statement Sunday.

“We again applaud Houston Texans player Azeez Al-Shaair for using his platform to call for an end to genocide anywhere and everywhere, and we strongly object to the NFL’s reported decision to fine him for doing so amid pressure from pro-Israel extremists,” said Imran Ghani, CAIR-Houston’s Director of Operations. “Azeez Al-Shaair’s message was rooted in basic human decency and concern for innocent lives. That should not be controversial, much less subject to a fine.”

Ghani also criticized the prospect of a fine in light of some coaches wearing pins from Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign.

“(The NFL) should have no problem with an NFL player opposing genocide, whether the genocide in Gaza or Sudan or elsewhere,” Ghani said. “It should approve the use of the slogan ‘Stop the Genocide’ going forward.”

Al-Shaair’s reported fine is part of the NFL’s ongoing pattern of disciplining players who display political or personal statements on the field. A notable example came last season when San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was fined $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during a postgame interview with teammate Brock Purdy. The league also cited Rule 5, section 4, article 8 for that fine.