Questionable
Injury Thumb
Est. Return 7/1/2026
2025 Defense Stats
TCKL
103
SACKS
0.0
INT
2
FF
1
TD
0
2026 Projections
2026 Fantasy Outlook
Al-Shaair was in some ways the heart of one of the NFL's top defenses last season, as he paced Houston with 103 tackles en route to his first Pro Bowl berth. The veteran linebacker also was more effective than ever against the pass, logging career-best totals of nine defensed passes and two interceptions. The Texans rewarded Al-Shaair for his excellence with a three-year contract extension in the offseason. Al-Shaair had a procedure on his thumb in February, but he should be good to go for the start of the 2026 campaign, when he'll be looked to for a near-every-down role again. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
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IDP
Signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Texans in April of 2026.
Lands three-year extension
Al-Shaair (thumb) has a agreed to a three-year extension with the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Al-Shaair's new deal amounts to a three-year, $54 million pact. The 28-year-old is coming off a 2025 regular season which he recorded 103 tackles and two picks in 16 games en route becoming a Pro Bowl selection. The Texans' starting middle linebacker is bouncing back from an offseason thumb procedure, but a full recovery is expected in advance of the upcoming campaign.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Al-Shaair's new deal amounts to a three-year, $54 million pact. The 28-year-old is coming off a 2025 regular season which he recorded 103 tackles and two picks in 16 games en route becoming a Pro Bowl selection. The Texans' starting middle linebacker is bouncing back from an offseason thumb procedure, but a full recovery is expected in advance of the upcoming campaign.
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2025 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
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Texans2025 Azeez Al-Shaair Split Stats
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Measurables Review
How do Azeez Al-Shaair's measurables compare to other linebackers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 2"Weight
228 lbsBench Press
16 repsHand Length
9.50 inArm Length
32.38 in
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
2022
Al-Shaair returns to anchor the second level of Houston's defense. After signing a three-year deal prior to the 2024 season, Al-Shaair finished with 70 tackles (seven for losses), seven quarterback hits, 2.0 sacks and two forced-fumbles over 11 games. He missed time with a knee injury and four games while on suspension for hit on a sliding Trevor Lawrence. A team captain, Al-Shaair will patrol the middle and call signals for the defense.
More Fantasy News
Undergoes thumb surgery
Al-Shaair had thumb surgery Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
ANALYSIS
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Leading tackler in 2025
Al-Shaair recorded 103 tackles (48 solo), nine passes defensed (two interceptions), one forced fumble and one recovery over 16 regular-season games in 2025.
ANALYSIS
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Cleared to play Week 18
Al-Shaair (knee) does not carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Colts.
ANALYSIS
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Returns to practice Thursday
Al-Shaair (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
ANALYSIS
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Dealing with knee injury
Al-Shaair (knee) did not practice Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
First time on NFL top-100 list
Al-Shaair was voted the 92nd-best player in the NFL by his fellow players, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com.
ANALYSIS
It took Al-Shaair seven seasons to finally crack the NFL's top-100 list, but he earned the recognition from his peers with an excellent 2025 regular season, during which Al-Shaair posted a career-high nine passes defensed while surpassing 100 tackles for the third time in his career with 103. The versatile linebacker signed a three-year, $54 million extension with the Texans in April following his excellent campaign as a key cog in one of the NFL's best defenses. He's expected to reprise his role as the starting middle linebacker once he recovers from a thumb injury.
It took Al-Shaair seven seasons to finally crack the NFL's top-100 list, but he earned the recognition from his peers with an excellent 2025 regular season, during which Al-Shaair posted a career-high nine passes defensed while surpassing 100 tackles for the third time in his career with 103. The versatile linebacker signed a three-year, $54 million extension with the Texans in April following his excellent campaign as a key cog in one of the NFL's best defenses. He's expected to reprise his role as the starting middle linebacker once he recovers from a thumb injury.