Azeez Al-Shaair

Nationality

United States

Born

1997-08-04

Height

6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)

Weight

228 lb (103 kg)

Azeez Al-Shaair ( al-SHIRE; Arabic: عزيز الشاعر; born August 4, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Atlantic Owls, where he received First-team All C-USA in 2017. Raised by parents who converted to Islam, his childhood was split between Saudi Arabia and Florida. Undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft, Al-Shaair signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. In 2024, the NFL suspended him for three games for a violent illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence after the quarterback had already slid, warning him that his "continued disregard for NFL playing rules ... will not be tolerated." Al-Shaair is an advocate for Palestinian rights and has twice received fines for wearing pro-Palestine messages and names of slain Palestinian girls on his eye black, in violation of NFL uniform and equipment rules.