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Will Anderson Jr. has had high expectations since the Houston Texans traded up for the third pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has lived up to the hype.
After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, he has put together back-to-back double-digit sack seasons and is a key component of a stacked defense.
The 16.5 points per game Houston is allowing is the lowest in the league and it has put them back in the middle of the AFC South race.
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Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. leaves the field after defeating the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Anderson was a division champion in each of his first two seasons, and his defense might just be the main reason they can get a third.
The third-year star gives all the credit to his head coach, former linebacker DeMeco Ryans.
“It’s a testament to coach DeMeco and the culture he’s brought here and the culture he’s built,” Anderson told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview. “The way he’s played defense and the way he expects his defense to be played, he’s brought people in here from coaches to players that can run the defense he wants to run. It’s just a testament to the guys he’s brought in, we all fit together really well, we share the same mentality, and when you share that mentality, good things happen.”
Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a Seattle Seahawks fumble in the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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Anderson hopes he can bring positive vibes from his community service to the field. With the help of Raising Cane’s, he joined a Boys & Girls Club of Houston to provide bikes and helmets to celebrate the holiday season.
“It’s a blessing and I just thank God, man. He’s blessed me with this platform and to be able to be a servant and give back in my community. Single-parent households, two-parent households, grandparents raising kids, it doesn’t matter, man. Everybody needs to feel love this Christmas season. So to be able to partner with the Boys and Girls Club, it’s just been a blessed feeling,” said Anderson.
“I remember my first bike and I wanted the opportunity to help these kids get their first bike. I have a whole bunch of nieces and nephews, so it’s been amazing to see all the smiles and joy and glee on all the kids’ faces getting their new bikes and riding around the gym.”
A division win would surely bring even more smiles to the faces of those same kids, and the final stretch begins this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Will Anderson Jr. partnered with Raising Cane’s to provide gifts at a local Boys and Girls Club. (Repeal of Cane’s)
“Going into this playoff push that we have, it’s a blessing,” he said. “I’m super excited for the challenge ahead of us. We’ve just got to keep executing the fundamentals, man, take it one day at a time. Keep playing our brand of football and just raising our standards of who we are as a team and just playing to our standards.”
