The Houston Texans signed linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair last offseason to help turn one of the NFL’s better defenses into one of its best defenses, and to put a rising playoff contender into the Super Bowl conversation.

In 2023, Al-Shaair (who is Muslim), ranked fifth in the league with 163 tackles while playing for the Tennessee Titans. The Texans, meanwhile, were sixth in the league in fewest rushing yards allowed and 11th in fewest points allowed. It seemed like a perfect match between a player in his prime and a team ready to make the leap to prime time.

But by the end of the 2024 regular season, the Texans looked very … regular. Even after a 5-1 start that included a win over the Super Bowl-contending Buffalo Bills, the Texans finished 10-7. And despite clinching an AFC South division title and an opening-round playoff game at home, Houston was an underdog going into its January 11th postseason matchup with the wild-card entry Los Angeles Chargers.

Al-Shaair, meanwhile, had an up-and-down season in his own right. His 70 tackles ranked third on the Texans, and he added two sacks and two forced fumbles. His numbers were down from what he’d produced as a member of the Titans, but he played in only 11 of Houston’s 17 games. That was due in part to a three-game suspension Al-Shaair was handed by the NFL in early December after he delivered a hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence while the QB was sliding to the ground and considered defenseless.

It was that one hit on a high-profile quarterback (also one of the NFL’s highest-paid players) that turned Al-Shaair, who wasn’t exactly a household name as an off-ball linebacker with no Pro Bowl selections on his resume, into someone whose entire career was under harsh scrutiny. In attempts to justify their proposals of a lengthy suspension or even a permanent ban from the NFL for what was a “dirty hit” in their view, fans and media members brought up past penalties and skirmishes involving Al-Shaair throughout his career. The 27-year-old acknowledged that he was in a “dark place” during his suspension.

Al-Shaair returned to the field in time for Houston’s regular-season finale and was in the starting lineup for their playoff opener. He record six tackles and two QB hits in a 32-12 upset victory in which Houston’s defense dominated the Chargers. The Texans intercepted L.A. star quarterback Justin Herbert four times and held the Chargers’ run game to just 50 yards on the ground. (There was an incident during the game in which it appeared Al-Shaair threw a punch at L.A. receiver Ladd McConkey, but no penalty was called.)

Houston’s next game is on the road against the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. The Texans lost to the Chiefs, 27-19, on December 21st in one of the games Al-Shaair missed during his suspension. Houston will be an underdog again this time, but this is a group — and Al-Shaair is a player — that has already shown it can overcome the odds.