Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair fights through illness in win over Buffalo Bills

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is still unsure how Azeez Al-Shaair did it on Sunday.

The Texans coaches didn't even know if their veteran linebacker could play against Buffalo after he got sick this weekend.

"For him to be as tired as he was, for him to gut it out and play every snap, it was an outstanding performance by him," Ryans said after the Texans beat the Bills 23-20.

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Al-Shaair did a lot more than play every snap. He led the Texans' defense with eight tackles and added two hits on Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen. He also broke up two passes and had a tackle for lost yardage.

Ryans explained that what we all saw Sunday is exactly what he's looking for from his veteran leaders.

"It's a team-first mentality. It wasn't about him," Ryans said. "He didn't want to make it a big deal about him. He just wanted to go out and help the team."

Texans fans are seeing why Ryans targeted Al-Shaair in free agency after they worked together to build a dominant 49ers defense in San Francisco. It's much more than Al-Shaair's ability to make plays all over the field.

The six-year veteran is entering the prime years of his career after racking up 163 tackles last season for the Titans. He's also the leader of the defense that Ryans built in Houston and a respected voice in the Texans locker room. Al-Shaair's $34 million deal over the next three years is a hefty price to pay for a linebacker. The Texans believe they'll get more than their money's worth.

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