Florida Atlantic Professional Athletes

The Hendrickson Watch Is On

For Florida Atlantic alumni tracking the NFL, the biggest story this week doesn't hinge on what happened Sunday — it hinges on what happens next Sunday in Baltimore.

Trey Hendrickson, the FAU product and Ravens edge rusher, has been sidelined with a thumb injury that kept him out of Baltimore's Week 5 clash against the Atlanta Falcons — a game the Ravens survived in overtime, 30-23, without their top pass rusher. The absence was conspicuous. Hendrickson has established himself as one of Baltimore's most disruptive defensive pieces, and coaching staff updates have been carefully worded about his return timeline.

Ravens defensive coordinator Jesse Minter addressed the injury publicly, hinting at potential timelines for Hendrickson's return alongside those of quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) and receiver Ja'Kobi Lane — but stopped short of any firm commitment. The Ravens are clearly managing a cluster of high-profile injuries simultaneously, which makes every update on Hendrickson's status carry extra weight.

The stakes only escalate from here. Waiting on the other side of Baltimore's Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns is the game circled on every calendar in the AFC North: a Ravens-Bengals showdown. And that game carries a distinctly personal subplot for Hendrickson, who spent years as a foundational piece of Cincinnati's pass rush before signing with Baltimore. A healthy Hendrickson in that reunion game wouldn't just be a roster move — it would be a statement.

Cincinnati's organization is acutely aware. The Bengals hold a bye this week, giving them extra preparation time, and the prospect of facing their former cornerstone rusher has reportedly generated significant buzz inside the building. Whether Hendrickson is cleared in time — and how much he shakes off the rust if he is — could shape the tenor of the entire divisional matchup.

Bleacher Report noted that Hendrickson wasn't the only Ravens star with a murky return timeline heading into Week 6, with Jackson's ankle status drawing parallel scrutiny. But in terms of defensive identity, Hendrickson's availability may be the more telling variable. Baltimore's front held up against Atlanta without him, but the Bengals' offense presents a different challenge entirely.

Around the League

Away from Baltimore, two other FAU alumni turned in quiet but notable contributions on Sunday.

James Pierre suited up for the Minnesota Vikings in their 23-13 win over the New Orleans Saints on October 11, giving the corner out of FAU another rep in what has been a solid stint with Minnesota's secondary. Azeez Al-Shaair was on the field for the Houston Texans in their dominant 26-3 dismantling of the Tennessee Titans — a performance that underscored Houston's defensive depth, with Al-Shaair playing his part at linebacker.

Neither player's individual stat line was highlighted in the brief, but both logged snaps in winning efforts — a small but meaningful marker for a program that continues to punch above its Group of Five weight in NFL personnel circles.

The headline story, though, belongs to Hendrickson. The thumb injury, the overtime absence, the returning-hero narrative against his former team — it's the kind of multi-layered storyline that makes mid-October football appointment viewing for anyone with a FAU connection.

Two of Florida Atlantic's most prominent NFL alumni are dominating headlines this week — and neither for the reasons they'd prefer. Trey Hendrickson and Azeez Al-Shaair, both ruled out for Week 4, are navigating injury setbacks alongside storylines that extend well beyond the gridiron.

Hendrickson Goes Down with Broken Finger

Trey Hendrickson, the Ravens' $30 million pass rusher, won't suit up Sunday against the Tennessee Titans after undergoing a procedure on a broken finger. Head coach Jesse Minter confirmed the ruling Friday, and Baltimore's final injury report made it official: the FAU product is out.

Hendrickson had been one of Baltimore's marquee offseason acquisitions, and his absence leaves a significant hole in a Ravens defense that also has left tackle Ronnie Stanley listed as questionable with a toe injury. The good news, per reports, is that Hendrickson's timeline is relatively short — the expectation is he'll return soon after a procedure addressed the issue. But for a team already navigating roster uncertainty, losing their premier edge rusher even briefly stings.

Al-Shaair: Groin Injury and a Defiant Eye Black Campaign

The situation surrounding Azeez Al-Shaair is considerably more layered. The Texans' Pro Bowl linebacker left Houston's Week 3 loss to the Colts with a groin injury and has since been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys — a significant blow to a linebacker room that was already thin.

But the injury is only part of the story.

Since the season opener, Al-Shaair has worn eye black bearing the names of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, using one of football's most visible stages to draw attention to the conflict. The NFL fined him $11,941 after Week 1, when his eye black honored Hind Rajab — a 5-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in 2024. In Week 2, a league official reportedly threatened to remove Al-Shaair from the game entirely before kickoff. In Week 3, he faces another fine stemming from a controversial hit on a Colts player.

Al-Shaair has been unapologetic. "Is a life worth $11,000? I think it's priceless," he said after the first fine. "I don't think everybody knows what it's about. I think that was the point." Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving volunteered to cover Al-Shaair's initial fine, and Al-Shaair later confirmed the two had been in contact.

The NFL's rulebook prohibits players from displaying personal messages without prior league approval — a policy Al-Shaair has openly and repeatedly defied. The league has escalated its response at each turn; how much further it goes remains to be seen.

The Bigger Picture for Owl Alumni

It's a difficult week for FAU's NFL contingent. Two of the program's highest-profile pros are sidelined at the same time, and one is at the center of one of the season's most charged off-field debates. Hendrickson's absence is a football problem with a likely short shelf life. Al-Shaair's situation — fines stacking, the league threatening ejection, and a player who shows no signs of backing down — is something else entirely.

For Owl fans watching both storylines unfold simultaneously, Week 4 is a reminder that what happens off the field can dwarf what happens on it.

Florida Atlantic has never been a traditional NFL factory, but this week two Owls alumni dominated the league's headlines for reasons that go well beyond box scores.

Hendrickson Plays Through Broken Finger, Then Gets Fined for It

Trey Hendrickson didn't exactly ease into life as a Baltimore Raven. The edge rusher broke a finger "into several pieces" during his Ravens debut — a 41-23 blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 — and spent the week leading up to Baltimore's home opener as a genuine game-time question.

He played anyway.

Hendrickson suited up with a cast on his hand and faced the New Orleans Saints, the franchise that originally drafted him. He was listed as active right before kickoff, then delivered a sack in the Ravens' Week 2 matchup — a result that underscored exactly why Baltimore pursued him this offseason. The Ravens fell 24-17 to New Orleans, but Hendrickson's toughness through injury was the kind of moment that tends to define a player's early reputation with a new fan base.

The good feeling didn't last long. The NFL announced fines for Hendrickson and teammate Roquan Smith after separate hits on Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. Hendrickson drew league discipline for his contact on Shough — a stinging coda to a week that had otherwise been a showcase for his durability and determination.

Al-Shaair's Eye Black Becomes a League-Wide Flashpoint

Across the league in Houston, Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fighting a different kind of battle. After the Texans' Week 1 game against the Bills, Al-Shaair was fined $11,941 for wearing the name "Hind Rajab" on his eye black — a reference to a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza — in violation of NFL uniform rules, which restrict personal messaging on equipment.

The league didn't stop at the fine. Al-Shaair was told to remove the message before Week 2. He complied, switching to a different inscription, and subsequently received good news that the adjustment resolved his immediate compliance issues. But the episode had already drawn national attention, with CBS Sports breaking down the NFL's rulebook language and the league publicly signaling its frustration with Al-Shaair using his eye black for what it characterized as political messaging.

Al-Shaair, a team captain and one of Houston's most prominent defensive voices, showed no signs of backing down from the broader cause — even while navigating the league's disciplinary machinery. The Texans fell to the Bengals 20-6 on Sunday, a rough team result that did little to pull focus from the off-field story surrounding their linebacker.

The Rest of the Owls

The week wasn't all drama. James Pierre was active for the Vikings in their defensive 9-3 win over Chicago on Sunday. Devin Singletary carried nine times for nine yards for the Giants in their Monday night loss to the Rams, as New York's ground game continues to search for traction early in the season.

For FAU, though, the story of Week 2 is Hendrickson and Al-Shaair — one Owl playing through bone damage to make an impression, another using his platform to make a statement. Both are paying prices. Neither appears ready to stop.