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Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
The Dallas Cowboys didn’t address the biggest weakness on their defense in the 2026 NFL draft by drafting an off-ball linebacker — we now know that the void at the position isn’t for a lack of effort.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Cowboys attempted to trade with the Houston Texans for Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who wound up signing a 3-year contract extension on Wednesday.
“Before trading for Dee Winters, the Cowboys talked to the Texans about Al-Shaair,” Garafolo wrote on his official X account. “But Houston values Al-Shaair for his play on the field and community work off of it. Now putting their $$$ down to further prove it.”
Al-Shaair has been 1 of the NFL’s elite off-ball linebackers the last 3 years, including a career-high 163 tackles in 2023 and 103 tackles in 2025 on the way to earning his 1st Pro Bowl selection.
The Cowboys traded a 2026 5th-round pick (No. 152 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers for Winters on April 24.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame