Feb. 12, 2026, 10:01 a.m. ET

One of the most common themes heard along Radio Row at the Super Bowl was that the Tennessee Titans made a great hire in Robert Saleh. 

One of the players who spoke glowingly about Saleh and his potential impact in Nashville is familiar with both the coach and the organization: Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. 

The Titans’ former leading tackler (2023) is extremely familiar with Saleh from their two seasons together with the San Francisco 49ers, and he believes it was Saleh’s tutelage that helped him become the player he is today. He told Jim Wyatt during the Super Bowl that he has mixed emotions about Saleh coaching in the division. 

“Happy for him, but I was like, golly,” Al-Shaair said. “Man, the division was already tough, and it just got a lot tougher. Coach Saleh is an amazing coach, an amazing person. And I think he landed in a great spot in Tennessee because they have a great foundation, and the core guys that they have, I think, will love playing for him.”

Between the comments of analysts and former players, it became clear that Saleh was the right choice for the job, and the excitement for the Titans’ future is real.

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