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San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was a nervous wreck on Saturday. He anxiously awaited word on whether or not he made the team's 53-player roster.
Al-Shaair was with his wife, who had come into town for the 49ers' final preseason game and waited for a buzz from his cellphone. All he wanted to know is if he made the cut. Of course, Al-Shaair also didn't want to feel his phone buzz because it likely meant he didn't make the roster after a grueling offseason competing for a spot. Still, he wished someone would tell him something.
Al-Shaair arrived at the 49ers facility just before the 1 p.m. deadline for NFL teams to finalize their roster cut-downs. That's when teammates started congratulating him. It was good to hear, but Al-Shaair didn't want to assume anything just yet.
"It's 12:50," Al-Shaair told his teammates. "They've got 10 more minutes."
Al-Shaair waited 10 more minutes, and a sense of relief hit the linebacker. He had made it onto an NFL roster as a member of the 49ers.
It wasn't until after all of that when Al-Shaair received congratulatory texts from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and other coaches. Al-Shaair went back to his hotel room to inform his wife, who wept tears of joy.
"It was a good intimate moment because it's somebody that wanted me since I was in high school, seeing me go through so much," Al-Shaair told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on the
49ers Insider Podcast. "Through that whole trial and tribulations we went through together as a family, it just felt good to turn the pages of the book. At first, you're like, 'I really don't like this book.' Then you keep reading and keep reading, and it's like, 'You know what? This turned out pretty good.'"
Now, Al-Shaair is preparing for his first regular-season game — a matchup on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Al-Shaair didn't hear his name called during the draft and had to wait until after its conclusion to receive a call from NFL teams. He will forever be labeled as an undrafted free agent, and that's not something in which he takes a lot of pride.
"It's like a sting to me," Al-Shaair said. "I hate that sound. I hate that name. I hate having that attached to me just because it just reminds me every time that I didn't get drafted, that everybody passed up on me. There was 250, however many guys that they said were better than me. For whatever reason it was, whether it was the ACL or whatever, I didn't care.
"It's just, as a man, as an athlete, as a football player, it's just that pride in you. It's the same reason you play the game is the reason I'm always going to be mad when I hear that, and I'm always going to take it personal.
"For me, it's just another opportunity for me to go out there and prove myself right, prove my family and my coaches here that did believe in me, and people, GM, and everybody that believed in me to keep me on this team."
While Al-Shaair hates the label of "undrafted free agent," he will use it as fuel during his NFL career.
"I know my worth," he continued. "I know who I want to be. I know who I can be."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Al-Shaair below.
On Wednesday, Chat Sports contributor Chase Senior reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He further stated that the Steelers are confident they can finalize a deal for the star player.
REPORTS: The Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a Brandon Aiyuk trade and the Steelers would be "surprised" if they don't land Aiyuk. Of note: Pittsburgh has the 20th overall pick. The Niners could look at that as equal value for Aiyuk if they can't get a deal done.…
A sketchy rumor surfaced on Sunday morning, alleging that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had requested a trade.
BREAKING: Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade from the 49ers, per confirmation from my San Francisco source. Benjamin Allbright & 49ersSportsTalk have also done some preliminary reporting on this story. As of Sunday morning, April 14, the Steelers have been the… pic.twitter.com/plCkQo87lj— John Frascella (Football) (@LegendSports7)
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In his mock draft, Palazzolo predicts that the 49ers will select former Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa with the No. 31 overall pick.
"Tampa's unique fluidity and size for a cornerback make him worthy of a top-75 pick," reads the analysis from Pro Football Focus' big board. "If he can clean up his footwork, he can
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Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
