Along with adding "Pro-Bowler" to his resume, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair can officially call himself one of the league's 100 best.
This morning, the Texans fan base learned that players from around the NFL voted and agreed that Al-Shaair is the 92nd-best player overall in the entire league according to the league's Top-100 list. This makes his first time ever receiving the prestigious designation, and it acts as the latest vote of validation from the league that Al-Shaair is firmly established as one of the most impactful at his position.
We heard as much from the official rollout video from the NFL's X account as the news broke.
Azeez Al-Shaair is regarded as one of the league's best
San Francisco 49ers All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk, teammates with Al-Shaair for his entire four-year tenure in the Bay, said of Al-Shaair in the clip,
"I have so much respect for Azeez and how he plays the game. Because he plays it so fast, so physically, so aggressively. I feel like that's a big reason of why they've been so dominant this year, is because of his leadership and just the way that he plays football."
Juszczyk isn't wrong. Al-Shaair's smash-mouth, downhill playstyle was definitely one of the biggest reasons why Houston's defense was as suffocating as it was. This is especially considering that Al-Shaair's team-leading 103 total tackles helped elevate the Texans' run defense to the fourth-best yards per game allowed mark at 93.7. It's a night-and-day difference in physicality and defensive play execution when the Pro Bowler is on the field, and both teams on the field know it.
Al-Shaair joined in on the commentary by confidently expressing of himself,
"I think I am probably, truthfully, one of the most complete linebackers in the NFL."
Not only is Al-Shaair a tackling machine, but he had multiple interceptions that proved vital for Houston in various high-leverage moments. In games against the Kansas City Chiefs (week 14) and Los Angeles Chargers (week 17), Al-Shaair's clutch takeaways prevented go-ahead scores and comeback attempts by top-level quarterbacks that would've threatened Houston's mission to clinch their third consecutive AFC playoff berth. His clutchness was essential in the Texans securing their 12-5 record at season's end.
Al-Shaair is one of the best finishers in the NFL, and it's nice that his contemporaries, and the NFL audience at large, finally placed the spotlight on him to acknowledge it.
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