Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is offering to cover the NFL fine handed down to Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after Al-Shaair wore an unauthorized message on his eye black during Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 by the NFL for displaying the name “Hind Rajab” during Houston’s 36–31 loss to Buffalo. The league’s uniform and equipment rules prohibit players from displaying personal messages without prior approval from the NFL.
Irving responded to news of the fine Wednesday on X with a simple offer:
“I’ll take care of his fine.”
The message referred to Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza in 2024. Her death became widely known after reports that she remained in contact with Palestinian Red Crescent emergency dispatchers while waiting for assistance after the vehicle carrying her family came under fire.
This is not the first time Al-Shaair has been fined for an eye-black message connected to the conflict in Gaza.
In January 2026, the Texans linebacker was fined $11,593 after displaying “Stop The Genocide” during a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The NFL’s stated basis for both penalties is its restriction on unauthorized personal messages, rather than a published determination about the viewpoint expressed in the messages.
Al-Shaair has previously used NFL initiatives and his own platform to support Palestinian humanitarian causes. Irving has likewise publicly expressed support for Palestinians.
Now, Irving is offering to personally absorb the latest financial consequence faced by Al-Shaair.
Whether Al-Shamir accepts Irving’s kind offer of paying the fine remains to be seen, but his public response adds another chapter to the athletes using their platforms to bring attention to issues beyond sports.
