NFL Warned Al-Shaair to Remove Akila Name From Eye Black

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair removed the name of Wafaa Akila, an eight-year-old Palestinian girl, from his eye black during the team’s Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals after an NFL official warned he could not continue playing if he kept it on, according to accounts attributed to league sources. Reports say he was not fined for the message, though the NFL has not provided a formal explanation of the warning in the information available. Al-Shaair began the game with Akila’s name written on the black strips worn beneath his eyes. After a league official noticed it, the linebacker was told to remove it or risk being taken out of the game. He did so and continued playing. The warning and the absence of a Week 2 fine have been reported through league-source accounts; no league record or direct NFL statement confirming the terms has been provided. The gesture followed a similar one in Week 1, when Al-Shaair wrote the name Hind Rajab on his eye black. Reports say the NFL fined him for that display, but the amount is inconsistent across accounts, so it remains unclear from the available information.