Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) has returned to Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. Al-Shaair exited during the first half and was listed as questionable, but he only missed a few snaps before re-joining Houston's defense. He registered a tackle in the opening quarter and will look to make an even bigger impact over the final two-plus quarters. Al-Shaair's return will send depth linebacker Neville Hewitt back to the sideline for now.
Azeez Al-Shaair Questionable To Return Against Chiefs
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) exited during the first half of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. Al-Shaair registered a tackle in the opening quarter but was unable to add another stat before departing. The 27-year-old amassed six tackles last week, and he had two sacks throughout the regular season. Neville Hewitt should earn more defensive snaps at linebacker until Al-Shaair is able to return.
According to the team, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) is officially active for Saturday's tilt against the Kansas City Chiefs. Al-Shaair opened the week as a non-participant but was able to upgrade to limited participation on Thursday and Friday. The 27-year-old saw his typical workload last weekend during their victory over the Los Angeles Chargers and tallied six tackles and three assists. During 11 regular season games, Al-Shaair tallied 70 tackles (45 solo) with two sacks, two forced fumbles, and four pass deflections. Al-Shaair should be expected to have a key role in the defensive gameplan against the reigning champions.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) is currently listed as questionable ahead of Saturday's Divisional Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite that, Al-Shaair is expected to suit up for this weekend. Al-Shaair was able to get through limited practice sessions this week after picking up a knee injury during last week's win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 27-year-old has missed a handful of games this season, but is an impactful player when healthy. He recorded 70 tackles, two sacks, and four passes defended in 11 games in the regular season. If Al-Shaair sits, Devin White would likely see an increased role this weekend.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) is officially listed as questionable to play in the Divisional Round on Saturday against the hosting Kansas City Chiefs. Al-Shaair did not practice on Tuesday but was limited on both Wednesday and Thursday, giving him a chance to suit up this weekend. The 27-year-old injured his knee in the wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday. Given the fact that he was able to practice two days this week, albeit limited, he appears to be on the right side of questionable for the Texans. In his first year with Houston, Al-Shaair recorded 70 tackles (45 solo), two sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven QB hits, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 11 regular-season starts. The Texans defense/special teams rewarded fantasy managers with a big game last week and will be a sleeper option in KC again for the Divisional Round.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) logged a limited session in Wednesday's team practice. The seventh-year pro re-aggravated a knee injury in last weekend's 32-12 win against the Los Angeles Chargers that he's been dealing with on and off since Week 6. However, when it occurred is unclear, as he participated in 98% of Houston's snaps. It's excellent news for the seventh-year pro, who was tagged with a DNP just one day ago. Despite missing six games this season, the 27-year-old is the second-leading snap-getter amongst his fellow linebackers and ranked third on the Texans with 70 tackles (45 solo) in 2024. While he appears to be trending in the right direction for Saturday's road tilt with the Kansas City Chiefs, it'd be wise to monitor him over the next few days due to the nagging nature of the injury. If Al-Shaair cannot play, teammates Neville Hewett and Christian Harris project to pick up the slack in Houston's front seven.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair had his three-game suspension upheld on Wednesday. Al-Shaair will now sit out Weeks 15, 16, and 17 following the Texans' Week 14 bye. Al-Shaair was suspended for three games without pay for a late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in Week 13. Lawrence was sliding when Al-Shaair delivered a hit to the helmet of the quarterback with his forearm. The suspension came after Al-Shaair was fined twice for other personal fouls earlier this season. His absence is a big loss for the Texans' defense. He had recorded 68 tackles, two sacks, two fumbles forced, and four passes defensed in 10 games this season. He has been all over the field for a solid Texans defense. Luckily the Texans have veteran linebacker Devin White behind Al-Shaair on the depth chart to help weather the storm. Still, the team will need several players to step up as the Texans fight for playoff seeding over the next few weeks.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is being suspended three games for his illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) in the Week 13 win on Sunday. Al-Shaair was ejected from the game after the hit on Lawrence, who was giving himself up on a slide in the middle of the field before Al-Shaair came in hard with a forearm to his helmet that left him concussed. Lawrence stayed on the ground before eventually being carted off, and he could miss the rest of the season because of his head injury. The 27-year-old Al-Shaair was also fined back in Week 2 for punching Bears running back Roschon Johnson, so it's not his first offense in 2024. He also had a late hit on Titans RB Tony Pollard out of bounds in Week 12. Al-Shaair is appealing the suspension, but if it is upheld, he won't be eligible to return until Week 18 against the Titans. Houston is on their bye in Week 14.
Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is expected to be suspended by the league for the hit he delivered in the Week 13 win over the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday that left quarterback Trevor Lawrence (head) concussed. It was a pretty clear cheap shot with Lawrence already giving himself up in the middle of the field on a slide. Lawrence's arms stiffened up after the hit, and it was pretty obvious that he suffered a pretty serious concussion on the play. The former first overall pick stayed down on the ground as trainers came to examine him before eventually being carted off the field. Before being ejected from Sunday's game, Al-Shaair had five tackles on 19 defensive snaps. It remains to be seen how long the 27-year-old will be suspended, but Houston's defense will most likely be without him when they face the Miami Dolphins in Week 15 after their Week 14 bye.
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair has signed his one-year tender to remain with the team. The 49ers already exercised their fifth-year option on star defensive end Nick Bosa, but retaining Al-Shaair was a major priority as well. With no first-round pick after trading up for quarterback Trey Lance last year, the team needs to keep as much of their core intact in order to remain a contender. The 24-year-old Al-Shaair tallied 102 tackles last year (58 solo) with two sacks, one interception and nine tackles for loss. He will cover the weak side to complement All-Pro middle linebacker Fred Warner. The 49ers were a strong defensive unit overall in 2021, allowing the third-fewest yards per game, and should enter 2022 as a strong option for fantasy under second-year defensive coordinator Demeco Ryans.