Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair Breaks Silence Following Three-Game Suspension

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's three-game suspension for his brutal hit on Trevor Lawrence is over ... and the the six-year NFL veteran revealed he met with commissioner Roger Goodell and other league higher-ups to own up to his actions and defend his character while serving his punishment.

The 27-year-old released a statement on X ahead of Houston's Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans ... in which he stated his play on the former No. 1 overall pick and the fight that ensued "was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me."

"That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment."

He also addressed the letter sent to him by the league's VP of Football Operations, Jon Runyan ... which included language that rubbed him the wrong way.

Al-Shaair said during his meeting with Runyan, Goodell and NFL EVP of Football Operations Troy Vincent, he expressed how he thought the contents of the letter were "careless" ... but is looking forward to putting the whole controversy behind him once and for all.

"Without going into detail, the meeting we had was productive and gave me hope for moving forward and playing the game that I love with continued best intentions, while also not having my character and integrity unjustifiably smeared," he said.

"It's not 'me vs Jon Runyan' or 'me vs the league officials,' we all are on the same team and together represent something much greater than us that will remain here long after we're gone."