Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Now questionable for Week 5
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Al-Shaair (illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills.
Given that he's dealing with an illness so close to Sunday's game, Al-Shaair' status may not be known until 90 minutes before the 1:00pm ET kickoff. If Al-Shaair cannot play, Neville Hewitt and Del'Shawn Phillips would be the top candidates to start at outside linebacker opposite Henry To'oTo'o.
Al-Shaair recorded 10 total tackles (nine solo), including two tackles for loss, during Sunday's 34-7 loss to the Vikings.
Al-Shaair was one of the few bright spots on a Texans defense that allowed a season-high 34 points in Week 3, leading the game in total tackles. The first-year Texan has impressed during his first three games in Houston, recording 25 total tackles, including 1.0 sack, and defending one pass on 169 defensive snaps. Expect Al-Shaair to continue being a viable IDP option as Houston hosts Jacksonville in Week 4.
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Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Limited Wednesday
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Al-Shaair (shin) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
Following an impressive 10-tackle performance in Sunday night's win over the Bears, Al-Shaair appears to be dealing with a shin injury. His practice participation Thursday and Friday will provide a clearer indication of his availability for Week 3, as the Texans take on the Vikings.
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Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Double-digit tackles vs. Chicago
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Al-Shaair tallied 10 tackles (six solo), including 1.0 sacks, in Sunday's 19-13 win over the Bears.
Al-Shaair tied Jalen Pitre for second-most tackles on the Texans on Sunday behind Henry To'oTo'o. Al-Shaair has played in every defensive snap in the first two games of the season, and the six-year linebacker has been integral to the Texans' defense, which has allowed the third-fewest yards per game (254.0) to start the season.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Strong season in Tennessee
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Al-Shaair recorded 163 total tackles (84 solo), two sacks, four passes defended and one fumble recovered across 17 games with the Titans in 2023.
Al-Shaair joined the Titans on a one-year deal before the 2023 season and showed the ability to handle a full defensive workload. He was on the field for a career-best 1,048 snaps and topped 100 tackles for the second time in five professional seasons. Al-Shaair will be entering his age-26 campaign, and even at a position that has been devalued in the modern NFL, he should be able to land a relatively significant contract.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Leads team with eight stops
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Al-Shaair posted eight tackles (four solo), including two for loss, in Sunday's Week 16 loss to Seattle.
Al-Shaair led the Titans in stops Sunday, though his three-week streak of double-digit tackles was snapped. It's been a career year for the linebacker in his first campaign with Tennessee, as he's up to 145 total tackles (75 solo) on the campaign. Through Sunday, that's good for the fifth-best total in the NFL.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Leading tackler vs. Texans
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Al-Shaair recorded 13 tackles (seven solo) in Sunday's 19-16 overtime loss versus the Texans.
Al-Shaair posted a double-digit tackle total for the third straight game in Week 15. He's tied for sixth in the league in that category with three weeks left in the season, making him a great IDP option for Week 16 versus the Seahawks.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Late addition to injury report
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Al-Shaair was added to the injury report Saturday due to an illness and is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Al-Shaair has been a key member of the Titans' insider linebacker corps, tallying double-digit stops on six occasions this season. His absence would benefit the likes of Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce and would force Luke Gifford and Otis Reese into more significant roles.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Available Sunday
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Al-Shaair (ankle) has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
The 26-year-old linebacker went from not participating in Wednesday's practice to a full session Friday, and it now seems as if he's had enough time to move past his ankle issue. Al-Shaair has recorded 83 total tackles, including four tackles for loss and one sack through eight games this year.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Picks up injury designation
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Al-Shaair (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Al-Shaair was able to play 100 percent of the team's defensive snaps in last Thursday's loss to the Steelers, so it's not clear when the 26-year-old picked up the injury. He'll work to get back on the field before the end of the week with a matchup against the Buccaneers on tap Sunday.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Racks up 15 stops in loss
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Al-Shaair tallied 15 tackles (seven solo) in a Week 5 loss to the Colts on Sunday.
Al-Shaair led Tennessee with his season-high 15 stops. It was the linebacker's first double-digit tackle total of the campaign, though he recorded nine stops in both Week 3 and Week 4. With 47 tackles through five games, Al-Shaair appears well on his way to surpassing the career-high 102 stops he recorded with San Francisco in 2021.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Disruptive in Week 4 victory
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Al-Shaair totaled nine tackles (five solo), including one for loss, and added two QB hits along with two defensed passes in a 27-3 Week 4 win over the Bengals on Sunday.
Al-Shaair played every defensive snap for Tennessee in the contest and tied his season high with nine stops. The veteran linebacker is enjoying a solid first season with the Titans, leading the team with 32 tackles through four games. He's on pace to easily surpass the career-best mark of 102 stops he set with San Francisco in 2021.
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Titans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Moving to Tennessee
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Al-Shaair agreed to a contract with the Titans on Tuesday, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.
Al-Shaair missed nine games over the past two years for the 49ers. He posted 3.7 tackles per game in 2022, though his best season came in 2021, when he played 655 snaps and averaged 7.8 stops per contest. Al-Shaair now will have a chance to establish himself next to inside linebacker Monty Rice within Tennessee's defense.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: Designated to return
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Al-Shaair (knee) was designated to return from IR on Monday, Josh Dubow of The Associated Press reports.
Since Al-Shaair suffered a sprained MCL during San Fransisco's Week 3 contest versus Denver, he was placed on injured reserve and has missed each of the team's last five games as a result. However, Monday's designation allows a 21-day window for the 25-year-old to rejoin the 49ers' active roster and hopefully make a return against the Chargers following San Fran's Week 10 bye. Al-Shaair is slated to serve as a rotational linebacker when deemed fully healthy alongside Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Dre Greenlaw.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: Sidelined 6-to-8 weeks
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49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Al-Shaair will miss 6-to-8 weeks with a sprained MCL, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Al-Shaair will likely sit out until at least Week 12 after sustaining a sprained MCL during San Francisco's loss to Denver on Sunday. The fourth-year linebacker recorded 102 tackles, two sacks, five passes defended, one interception and two fumble recoveries over 13 games last season. Al-Shaair also tallied 11 tackles while playing just 65 defensive snaps over the first three games, and his absence will leave San Francisco's linebacker corps with an important role to fill moving forward.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: Has the okay for camp
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that Al-Shaair (shoulder) has been cleared to participate in training camp, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Shanahan did qualify that Al-Shaair would be brought along slowly, but it's good news either way for the fourth-year linebacker out of Florida Atlantic. He saw 13 starts and registered 102 tackles in 2021, so he should be considered very likely to start next to Fred Warner in 2022.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: Not ready for OTAs
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Al-Shaair (shoulder) is running on the sidelines but not participating in OTAs, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Al-Shaair had shoulder and knee surgery earlier in the offseason and has yet to recover enough to take part in OTAs. The three-year pro had a breakout season in 2021, recording 100 tackles, two sacks and five passes defended while also forcing one fumble, recovering two others and intercepting one pass. He should be recovered in time to fully participate in training camp, and be an integral part of the 49ers' linebacker unit in 2022.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: Active for postseason opener
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Al-Shaair (knee) is active for Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Cowboys.
Al-Shaair hasn't played since Week 16 and didn't practice Friday after being limited during the first two sessions of the week, so his status come as a bit of a surprise. Nonetheless, the 49ers will have one of their top tacklers (102 through 13 games) back when they face Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' high-powered offense.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: DNP on Friday
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Al-Shaair (knee) did not practice Friday and is questionable for Sunday against the Cowboys.
Al-Shaair was able to log limited practices Wednesday and Thursday, but it seems he may have taken a step back by not practicing Friday. However, it's possible the team didn't want to push him ahead of Sunday's game after a three-week absence. With Marcell Harris (Achilles) also questionable, the 49ers' linebacker unit could be weakened against the Cowboys, although both did miss the 49ers' victory over the Rams in Week 18.
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49ers' Azeez Al-Shaair: On track for wild-card action
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General Manager John Lynch said Friday that Al-Shaair (knee) is expected to suit up for Sunday's playoff matchup in Dallas, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
Al-Shaair missed the last three games of the regular season due to a knee injury, but he's trending in the right direction for Sunday's playoff contest. Friday's injury report will provide an official update on Al-Shaair's status.