The Houston Texans have locked up one of their defensive stars for the long haul, announcing a three-year contract extension with Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that will keep him in Houston through the 2029 season.
While the organization did not disclose financial details when making the announcement Friday, reports indicate the extension is valued at $54 million.
“Truthfully, I just wanted to be authentically myself and I always felt like if I got the opportunity to be at a place and show everybody who I was, then things would go well for the team and myself,” he said. “I’m grateful for that.”
The contract extension follows another major deal for Houston, as defensive end Will Anderson recently inked a three-year, $150 million extension that established him as the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
Al-Shaair has been a key contributor for Houston over the past two seasons, participating in 27 games while recording 173 tackles, eight tackles for losses, two sacks, 13 passes defensed, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
His breakout campaign last year earned him his inaugural Pro Bowl selection after starting 16 games for a Houston defense that ranked first in the league by surrendering just 277.2 yards per game while allowing the second-fewest points at 17.4 per contest during the regular season.
The linebacker arrived in Houston following a stint with the Tennessee Titans in 2023. Originally entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Al-Shaair spent his initial four NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he compiled 199 tackles and 11 tackles for losses across 56 games.
Beyond his on-field contributions, Al-Shaair earned recognition for his community involvement last season when he received Houston’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. He actively supports various charitable organizations focused on helping homeless youth, drawing from his own childhood experience with homelessness after his family lost their home in a fire.
During Friday’s announcement, Al-Shaair reflected on a promise he made to his mother as a child, when she was reluctant to let him play football due to injury concerns.
“We were staying in a motel at the time, (and I said) ‘I promise you, if you let me play football I’m going to make it to the NFL, I’ll take care of our family one day,’” he said. “I had no clue if I was ever actually going to be able to do it or not. I never saw it done. … So, to sit here years and years later, to be actually living that out, is absolutely amazing.”
