The Pro Bowl linebacker is coming off his best season as a part of the Houston Texans. But he still might not be at his peak just yet.
defensive unit, you'll find a bona fide tone setter who gets the job done in all areas around the field; whether you look upfront in the trenches, or within their elite unit in the secondary.Reed Blankenship recently joined the mix to add his skillset in the back-end of their defense, adding yet another standout voice and a leader to the room that already has a good handful of them.
One could say that the alpha unit might be all vying for top dog status, but it’s a mantle Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair appears to have claimed not only on his own team, but also around the entire NFL. "I truly do feel like–– pound for pound–– just, I am one of the most physical. If not, the most physical player in the league, " Al-Shaair told Jon Gruden on his podcast. "I feel like, just consistently, and when you watch the tape, you gotta make the decision." "Even, for example, the Pro Bowl stuff just ended, " Al-Shaair told Gruden. "The amount of respect that I was given, and every guy talking to me, guys that I didn't even know were paying attention to me or whatever. That I might never have even played against. It's like, 'Dude, like the way you play the game is different, like. ' So many people have come up to me; just encouragement."Respect has certainly been hard earned for Al-Shaair along the way. Hiis forceful style fits right in with how Ryans' defensive unit goesd about their business. As far as next season is concerned, the Texans' head coach will be demanding more of the same from his impactful group, and Al-Shaair sounds like he got the remit. "When you play against the Texans, it's a mentality that we have. And that's just something that I've always played with," Al-Shaair said. "You know, going back to talking about watching guys like Ray Lewis play the game. It's like, I just think that it's gotta be played a certain way." "Especially now in the day and age when we want to see all these touchdowns and all this stuff. That stuff is nice and cute. But like, we gotta let you know this is still a physical sport." Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez al-Shaair runs onto the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Continuity has largely been maintained on the defensive side of the ball for the Texans throughout the offseason so far; so the NFL's most dangerous unit figures to get even more lethal in 2026. If anything, the H-Town attack dogs might be even better at feasting moving forward, especially if the slightly more reserved Blankenship can successfully hold the reins and help match brawn with brains. Despite Al-Shaair being notorious for his all-out aggression, he's also still maturing on a season-to-season basis at age 28; so you could say that the sky is indeed the limit.
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