The Houston Texans have plenty of items to sort out in the coming months, and few are as pressing as Will Anderson Jr.’s future.
He is integral to what is, at least statistically, the NFL’s best defense through 15 weeks.
Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2023 draft, has been as advertised since he entered the league. That could–and, arguably, should–pay off for the former Alabama Crimson Tide star sooner rather than later.
Texans Expected to Sign Will Anderson to Contract Extension
GettyWill Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans reacts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Anderson and the Texans rank No. 1 overall and in scoring this season. ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime highlighted Anderson’s strong season and reported that the Texans are “expected” to stay true to their recent history.
“This season, Anderson has had the fifth-most tackles for loss (16) and ninth-most sacks (10.5) in the league,” Bien-Aime wrote on December 16. “The No. 3 pick in 2023 is expected to get an extension, one year after Derek Stingley Jr. became the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history on a three-year, $90 million deal.”
This is not the first time that Anderson’s extension was framed as an inevitability.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported something similar in November. Russini noted then that a deal for Anderson was high on the Texans’ to-do list.
“Will Anderson is one of the biggest reasons for Houston’s defensive dominance,” Russini reported on X in November. “I’m told to expect the third-year pass rusher and the Texans to make offseason extension talks a priority.”
Will Anderson Has Been Dominant
GettyWill Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans reacts after a game against the Buffalo Bills.
Anderson is 0.5 sacks from matching his total from the 2024 season and has already played in as many games.
He is tied with Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers star Khalil Mack for the 10th-most sacks since he (Anderson) entered the league, per Sports Reference’s Stathead.
There are still three games to go.
NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno noted on X on December 18 that Anderson owns the highest pressure rate in 1-on-1 situations among players with 150-plus rushes.
Fittingly, a key reason Anderson gets 1-on-1 opportunities is his bookend.
Teammate Danielle Hunter ranks second in sacks since the start of the 2023 season. Hunter sees double teams at a higher rate than Anderson, per Pro Football Focus on December 17. However, Anderson gets chipped and triple-teamed more
Texans Must Address C.J. Stroud
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans leaves the field after defeating the Indianapolis Colts.
Bien-Aime made sure to note that, in addition to Anderson, “Quarterback C.J. Stroud — the No. 2 pick in 2023 — is also eligible for an extension this offseason,” adding another layer of complexity for the Texans.
However, the Texans have already planned for this. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander reported that the team “values Stroud as its franchise quarterback” and a leader.
Alexander also pointed to the Texans’ history of giving players extensions.
“What’s clear is that the Texans will give him an extension, as they should. When the Texans traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil earlier this offseason, they did so with the thinking that they wanted to prioritize their young core that would soon be eligible for major paydays, including Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. in the 2026 offseason,” Alexander wrote in May.
“Based on how Stroud has performed in his first two years in the NFL, he will likely fall somewhere in the top-seven highest earners. … An improved season in his third year could have him among the top-five earners.”
Texans Have Big Deals Coming
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans adjusts a play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After a slow start and a three-game, concussion-related absence, Stroud–who was playing well before his injury–has found his stride.
Alexander projected a “five-year, $280-290 million extension” for Stroud.
How that impacts what the Texans would be comfortable giving Anderson remains unclear. Still, both 2023 first-round draft picks appear set to remain pillars of the organization for years to come.
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