The San Francisco 49ers have likely lost yet another star defender for the rest of the season as linebacker Fred Warner went down with a gruesome leg injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This comes after defensive end Nick Bosa was lost due to an ACL tear earlier in the season. It's hard to comprehend the losses San Francisco has sustained, but there is no time to pout or complain.
The 49ers need to act fast to save their season, which is why they need to pursue a trade with the Houston Texans for linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
Al-Shaair was a former member of the Niners from 2019 to 2022. He was an unsung hero for the team playing behind Warner and Dre Greenlaw, but the former developed into a quality player and showed he can be the main linebacker on a defense after departing San Francisco.
In 2023, Al-Shaair recorded 163 tackles as a member of the Tennessee Titans. He followed that up with a solid campaign in 2024 with Houston, where he had 70 tackles, two sacks, and seven tackles for a loss in 11 games under head coach Demeco Ryans, who was his defensive coordinator in San Francisco.
There was hope the Niners could reunite with him following the 2023 season after San Francisco lost Greenlaw in the Super Bowl, but the team was not able to bring him back.
Now, the 49ers may have no choice but to try and bring Al-Shaair back.
In five games this season, Al-Shaair has 32 tackles and one forced fumble. He had a big hit on Titans quarterback Cam Ward that earned him a fine, and he had a similar hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence last year.
Al-Shaair played under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh when he was with the Niners, so he would be coming back to a system and team that he is familiar with. The Texans are 2-3 on the year and are in third place in the AFC South. They can still turn things around, but they may decide a draft pick is worth it in exchange for Al-Shaair.
The Niners should not give up too much, but they have to do something to try and fill the hole left by Warner.
There is no point in crying about injuries, the 49ers are still in a position to have a good season but they need to find a way to at least replace some of what Bosa and Warner bring to the table.