Injured Dre Greenlaw’s replacement would be ideal for this former 49er.
Star linebacker Dre Greenlaw of the San Francisco 49ers suffered an Achilles injury during the Super Bowl.
It appears that he might miss a sizable portion of the upcoming season.
This might make it possible for Azeez Al-Shaair, a former Niners defender, to rejoin the 49ers as a linebacker for the upcoming campaign.
Dre Greenlaw’s injury would be ideal for Azeez Al-Shaair to take over.
Al-Shaair was signed by the 49ers in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. Despite the fact that they had Fred Warner, Kwon Alexander, and Dre Greenlaw ahead of him on the depth chart when he signed, he turned out to be a wonderful addition.
Despite playing behind Warner and Greenlaw, Al-Shaair showed himself to be a reliable third-linebacker for the club.
He signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans last summer, where he flourished after leaving the 49ers. With the Titans, he started every one of their 17 games and finished fifth in the league in tackles.
For a player who at last received the chance to excel in a starting position, it was a breakthrough season. He signed a one-year contract with the Titans, so he’s back as a free agent.
Reuniting with their former linebacker should pique the Niners’ curiosity.
When Greenlaw returns to the field for San Francisco at the beginning of the season is currently unknown. We don’t know if he will be the same player when he returns from injury, but it appears likely that he will miss the start of the regular season at the very least.
His presence will not be felt in their defense because he and Warner are the best linebacker tandem in the league. For this reason, the 49ers require some insurance in the event that Greenlaw heals slowly or is limited upon his return.
This is particularly true because the two players who had to step in for Greenlaw—Oren Burks and Demetrius Flanigan-Fowles—are also free agents.
It is also important to note that Al-Shaair attended the 49ers vs. Packers playoff game earlier in the season and participated in the pregame ritual alongside his old colleagues.
Al-Shaair is obviously still very fond of his former teammates and would undoubtedly be thrilled to play with them once more.
Still, San Francisco’s cost of luring him back will be high. Having signed a $5 million contract with the Titans the previous season, he will probably command considerably more this offseason given his excellent 2023.
It’s also possible that even though Al-Shaair adores Warner and Greenlaw, he no longer feels the need to play second or third fiddle. He demonstrated his ability to be a team’s top linebacker last season, so maybe his goal going forward should be to be a full-time starter rather than a man covering for an injured player.
In any case, the 49ers should work hard to sign Al-Shaair in free agency since the team would gain from having him back on the field the following season. Next season, the 49ers defense might play to its full potential if he, Warner, and Greenlaw (assuming he can recover) are all back together.
