Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN Places Houston Texans Rivalry Game Among Must-Watch Matchups

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated May 27, 2025 12:30 PM ET

There's a few select games on the Houston Texans schedule that the team may be keeping special focus on in the months ahead of next regular season kicking off.

However, the most interesting of those games could come as early as Week 3.

ESPN analyst Ben Solak recently outlined nine of his most interesting matchups to watch unfold during the 2025 season, where the Houston Texans' battle vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars was squarely in the fold for one major reason: Azeez Al-Shaair.

"I didn't realize this until I saw Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco's note in our full schedule preview: The Jaguars and Texans haven't played since the Azeez Al-Shaair hit that ended Trevor Lawrence's 2024 season and incited a bench-clearing brawl. Well, they'll play in Week 3," Solak wrote. "Expect some pregame shenanigans and first drive tone-setting."

The Texans' linebacker's events from last season involving his hit on Trevor Lawrence made nothing short of an abundance of headlines–– eventually leading to his multi-game suspension and the end of the Jaguars' quarterback's season.

Since that moment, not only have we not seen Lawrence take the field, but we also haven't gotten a rematch opportunity between these two sides following such a hectic fallout in Week 13 of last season. Now, early in the 2025 campaign, we'll have our opportunity to see a likely high-energy, high-emotion game with both sides also making several reinforcements on the roster this offseason.

On top of the most notable storyline in Al-Shaair's reunion with this Jaguars team, Travis Hunter will also have his first matchup against his divisional Houston foe. Christian Kirk will even get an opportunity to suit up against his former team in Jacksonville, making for one of the more eye-catching contests to take place over the course of this early action in Week 3.

We still stand a few months away until the Texans' season kicks off, but when September 21st finally comes around for this high-stakes matchup, fans could be in for a treat.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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