Story perspectives

Texans lock Pro Bowl LB Azeez Al-Shaair, $54M extension

5/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair signed a three-year extension with the Houston Texans through the 2029 season.
The $54 million deal gives Al-Shaair an $18 million average annual value, ranking his contract third among NFL linebackers.
Al-Shaair earned his first Pro Bowl after a 2025 season with 103 tackles, two interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Houston declined trade offers from the Dallas Cowboys and announced the new contract on April 29, 2026.

History

Historical Context

Ray Lewis, the Ravens’ linebacker who earned Super Bowl XXXV MVP on Jan 28 2001, signed a six-year, $36 million extension in 1999, then the league’s top linebacker salary. The 2026 three-year, $54 million deal for Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair eclipses Lewis’s terms, reflecting a broader trend of escalating linebacker contracts across the NFL rising cap pressures.

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Story summary

Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair signed a three-year extension with the Houston Texans through the 2029 season.
The $54 million deal gives Al-Shaair an $18 million average annual value, ranking his contract third among NFL linebackers.
Al-Shaair earned his first Pro Bowl after a 2025 season with 103 tackles, two interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Houston declined trade offers from the Dallas Cowboys and announced the new contract on April 29, 2026.

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