NFL fines Texans linebacker for Palestinian girl name on eye black

The NFL fined Houston Texans linebacker Azeez AlShaair $11,941 for displaying the name "Hind Rajab" on his eye black during the team's Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills, the league confirmed. The fine, issued for violating the NFL's policy against unapproved personal messages, marks a repeat offense for AlShaair, who was penalized in January for a similar message. The incident occurred during the Texans' season-opening loss on Sunday. AlShaair, a 29-year-old Muslim player, wrote the name of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024 on his eye black, a common practice among football players to reduce glare. The NFL cited Rule 6, Section 4, Article 8, which prohibits players from displaying personal messages on game days without prior league approval. The rule applies from pregame warmups through postgame interviews and is based on authorization rather than the content of the message. Hind Rajab was killed after her family's car came under fire from Israeli forces in Gaza. Her death, which drew international outrage, became the subject of an Oscar-nominated docudrama.