Controversial Texans Player at Risk of Missing Chiefs Game After Injury News

The No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs will begin their quest for a three-peat on Saturday in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans. It is the second time these two teams will play each other this season, as the Chiefs defeated the Texans, 27-19 in Week 16.

In their first matchup late last month, superstar QB Patrick Mahomes and the rest of Kansas City’s offense didn’t have to face Texans standout linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who was serving his three-game suspension for a violent hit on Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence.

That said, there’s a chance the Chiefs will see the veteran linebacker this weekend, who had a solid performance in the Texans’ wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers (six combined tackles and two tackles for loss). 

However, Al-Shaair is reportedly dealing with an injury, which could play a significant role in how Saturday’s playoff game plays out. According to Around The NFL, Al-Shaair did not practice on Tuesday because of a knee injury. He was one of four Texans players who did not practice to start the week.

The veteran linebacker missed three games earlier this season with a knee injury, so it’s something to watch out for as we get closer to kickoff. If Al-Shaair receives another DNP on Wednesday, that will put the Texans’ defense in a bind as he’s one of their best run defenders.

According to PFF, Al-Shaair has an 83.7 run defense grade (ranked 17th among 189 qualified linebackers) this season. If he doesn’t play on Saturday or is limited, the Chiefs could look to run the ball with a healthy Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.

In their Week 16 win, the Chiefs ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns, as Hunt led the way with 55 yards on 11 carries. The veteran running back scored one rushing touchdown, while Mahomes scored the second touchdown.

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