Another major injury is coming for theHouston Texans' defense entering Sunday's must-win game against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Texans officially announced that Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair would miss Week 4's matchup at Reliant Stadium with a groin injury. The injury isn't expected to linger into the season, but Houston could be without its most consistent tackler for next week's matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.
Al-Shaair, Houston's team captain and the emotional leader, was in and out of Week 3's loss to the Indianapolis Colts during the second and third quarters because of a groin issue.
He was never ruled out and eventually finished the game, totaling a team-leading 11 tackles on 54 snaps.
Overall, Al-Shaair, 29, played
in just 76 percent of defensive snaps. That's uncommon since he's one of four players who often will see 100 percent of the defensive snaps when called upon. It's why he's once again been the anchor of the Texans' defense at the second level, totaling a team-leading 31 tackles this season.
Nico Collins is no longer on the injury report and will play Sunday vs. the Cowboys.
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) October 2, 2026
LB Azeez Al-Shaair is out.
Last year, the Pro Bowler finished with 103 tackles and two interceptions. For his efforts, he was given a three-year, $54 million contract extension in the offseason, keeping him in Houston through the 2029 campaign.
With Al-Shaair inactive, veteran linebacker Jake Hansen should take over as the green-dot signal-caller, though he appeared as questionable on the injury report with a calf strain. Hansen, a special teams standout, is already in the starting lineup as a replacement for Henry To'oTo'o, who suffered a shoulder injury and won't return for several more weeks.
"When you lose a guy like Azeez, who does command a lot of communication and takes a lot of that on game day," Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said Thursday. "We've tried to be really urgent and the guys have responded to how we're doing that. I’m excited for those guys to get an opportunity to go show what they're about.”
With Al-Shaair's spot on the field now open, rookie Wade Woodaz, Houston's fourth-round draft pick from Clemson, would start next to Hansen. Last week, he played in 11 snaps as the replacement for Al-Shaair and allowed a touchdown pass to Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Kickoff on FOX is scheduled for Noon. With a loss, Houston would look to become the second team in league history to ever go from 0-4 to postseason-bound, joining the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Azeez Al-Shaair injury update: Latest on Texans Pro Bowl LB for Cowboys' game
