As we outlined a week ago, the NFL began the unveiling of of this summer’s annual, iconic NFL Top 100 Players list last Monday, revealing two players each weekday on X (the former Twitter) until we fill out the entire list. Through Thursday, in revealing players 100 through 93, there had not been any Houston Texans representation. That changed on Friday, though.
For the first time in his eight year career, inside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was voted onto the list, coming in as the 92nd best player in football, as voted on by his peers. This continued a phenomenal personal and professional stretch this offseason for Al-Shaair, as he was voted to his first Pro Bowl this past season, signed a three-year, $54 million extension a couple months ago, and now gains recognition as one of the best players in the sport.
As their captain and middle linebacker, Al-Shaair is the heartbeat And the brains of the Texans’ defense. He is the guy who motivates pregame and the guy who gets things organized for the league’s best defense in game. Al-Shaair’s tribute video for this Top 100 designation says it all:
That’s some powerful stuff. Here are three other thoughts on this honor bestowed upon Al-Shaair:
Al-Shaair’s complete 180-degree image rehab is complete
Of course, this time a year ago, Al-Shaair was best known around the NFL as “Public Enemy Number One,” after his big hit on a sliding Trevor Lawrence in Week 13 in 2024, a hit that led to a three-game suspension for Al-Shaair and the league’s portraying him as a dirty player and despicable human being, both falsehoods in real life. Since then, the jury seems to have spoken on Al-Shaair, not only with the validation of the Pro Bowl and this list, but also with the Texans’ making Al-Shaair their designee in Walter Payton Man of the Year balloting, an award that each season is given to the most impactful player in the league off the field, with charitable endeavors and such.
Al-Shaair is a positional rarity for the Texans in this space
Last week, we outlined in detail the Houston Texans’ history in the NFL Top 100 exercise, an annual league tradition since 2011. The Texans, prior to Al-Shaair’s reveal as the 92nd best player this offseason, have had 43 Top 100 designations. With the likes of J.J. Watt and Will Anderson, defensive end is a position where they’ve had one on the list nearly every year.
Linebacker, on the other hand, has been a relatively barren wasteland for Texans in the Top 100, with Brian Cushing in 2012 the only linebacker named to the list in team history, until last Friday. Now Al-Shaair gives them their second linebacker on the list.
So, who’s next, and how many Texans make this list?
When I made my NFL Top 100 predictions several days ago, I did not have Al-Shaair as one of the Texans making the list. I am happy I was wrong, as I find Al-Shaair to be a wonderful, engaging human being, and a damn good football player. Just to review, I think Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley, and. Nico Collins are all locks to make the list, and likely pretty high up the board. I think Bryce Young, Panthers fourth year QB, coming in at 98th means C.J. Stroud, a better player and two-time Top 100 designee, makes the list.
Including Al-Shaair, that would bring the number to six. I also think at least two, and maybe all three, of Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock, and Jalen Pitre make the list. I’ll make my revised prediction here — I think the Texans get nine on the board, with either Bullock or Stroud next to be revealed.
