Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion and was carted from the field in the second quarter of Sunday’s 23-20 home loss to the Texans after a brutal hit by Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

With 4:15 left in the first half, Lawrence was carrying the ball and went into a feet-first slide at Houston’s 45-yard line when Al-Shaair launched into him, delivering a forearm shot near the quarterback’s head and shoulder.

“It’s a play that has no business in our league,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson later told 1010 XL Radio after the game.

Multiple skirmishes erupted as Lawrence lay prone on the field. Al-Shaair was ejected, along with Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones, while multiple penalties offset.

Lawrence immediately displayed the hand motion known as fencing that is associated with suffering a concussion. However, he was able to stand after being attended to briefly and he sat up while being taken to the locker room on a cart.

Lawrence — who was returning from a Week 9 injury to his non-throwing shoulder — was not taken to a hospital.

“Unfortunate with the hit with Azeez, it’s not what we’re coaching,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Just want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt our team. I didn’t want to see the melee and all of the aftermath. It’s not what we’re about. I talked to Azeez and addressed it personally, and we’ll move forward.”

Meanwhile, head referee Land Clark told a pool reporter postgame that Jones was ejected because “he came off the bench and threw a punch” at another player. Asked why no Texans players were thrown out for leaving the bench area, Clark said they did not do anything “that rose to the level of disqualifying.”

Lawrence was 4-for-10 passing for 41 yards and an interception. Mac Jones, who started the last two games while Lawrence was out, took over at QB and finished 20-of-32 for 235 yards with a pair of touchdown passes, but Jacksonville ultimately dropped its fifth straight game.

–Field Level Media