Report: Titans’ Azeez Al-Shaair interested in Texans in free agency

The assumption for quite some time now is that the Tennessee Titans would bring back pending free-agent linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, but it appears they may have some stiff competition from a division rival.

According to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com, Al-Shaair is eyeing the Houston Texans in free agency, where he’d reunite with head coach DeMeco Ryans, who was his defensive coordinator during his days in San Francisco.

Cashman is expected to have a healthy market if he leaves the Texans and they may not be willing to spend enough to keep him from leaving. It’s not regarded as a lock at all that he’ll return and the Texans may explore a free agent market with an eye toward hard-hitting Tennessee Titans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who’s interested in the Texans, per sources, after playing for Ryans with the 49ers.

Adding to that report, Al-Shaair has also “caught teams’ attention” around the league, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Blake Cashman/Azeez Al-Shaair: These two do-it-all linebackers for Houston and Tennessee, respectively, have caught teams’ attention.

The Titans already have a need to fill at the linebacker position after 2023 starter, Jack Gibbens, proved to be less than ideal in that role.

Losing Al-Shaair, who played well and was a great leader in the locker room during his first season, would obviously leave Tennessee with two holes.

Al-Shaair made it clear he’d like to stay in Tennessee, and the Titans have ample cap space to outbid other teams, but he may be hard-pressed to pass on an opportunity to play for Ryans again, if all things are equal.