These 49ers free agents will follow DeMeco Ryans to Texans
By Peter Panacy
49ers LB Azeez Al-Shaair might follow DeMeco Ryans to Texans
The 49ers had a luxury that wasn’t sustainable: three linebackers all capable of starting for two positions.
The trio of Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair helped comprise what Pro Football Focus tabbed as the No. 1 linebacking corps in the NFL entering 2022. However, once the Niners extended Greenlaw and in the wake of already committing to Warner, Al-Shaair has to be the odd man out.
Simply put, he won’t return to San Francisco on a cheap deal.
The 25-year-old Al-Shaair isn’t going to necessarily be an expensive commodity, per se. But 2023 will mark the first time he can cash in as an unrestricted free agent, and his play in relief of Greenlaw the last two seasons has more than cemented himself as a starting-caliber option.
Especially with the track record of DeMeco Ryans’ work as a linebackers coach, and one knows Ryans will want to bring over one of his former backers with the 49ers.