Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair undergoes successful surgery, aiming for a full recovery and a dominant return for the Texans' 2026 season.
The Houston Texans wrapped up their 2025 season just under a month ago, and some players have already begun looking forward to 2026. Individuals need to improve if the Texans are going to find a way to get past the Divisional round of the postseason, which is when Houston has been eliminated in each of the last three seasons.
Houston's defense received a ton of love from the media during the 2025 season, but one player who still seems to get overlooked nationally is inside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. He is one of the most violent players in the NFL, and he is coming off of his first Pro-Bowl season in 2025.
Al-Shaair has been somewhat controversial throughout his career. He has laid some dirty hits on the field, with the most notable instance of this coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawerence during the 2024 season. It was a clear late hit to Lawrence's head as the quarterback slid, and it sparked a brawl on the field.
The inside linebacker has made great strides throughout his career, and it has become clear that he is very important to this team and one of the defensive captains. He also wears the green dot, meaning he is the defender who hears from the play-caller between every snap and relays the play calls to the rest of the team. He had a bit of an issue with his thumb to end the season, and Aaron Wilson reported that he went through surgery successfully the other day.
The good news is that the surgery went well, and Al-Shaair is expected to make a full recovery before any team activities begin in the spring. The Texans have been hit by the injury bug a bit in recent years, and a key to finding more success as a team will be staying healthy moving forward.
Al-Shaair played in 16 games during the 2025 regular season and recorded over 100 combined tackles, along with two interceptions. He also recovered two fumbles during Houston's playoff loss to the New England Patriots. He has been a productive defender for two seasons now with the Texans, and he is going to have to have another really good season in 2026 to keep this Texans defense trending in the right direction.
The inside linebacker is also entering the final season of his contract in 2026, making him an extension candidate during the 2026 offseason.