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Will Anderson Jr. has had high expectations since the Houston Texans traded up to the third pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s lived up to the hype.
After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, he’s 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 allows is the lowest in the league, and it has again put them right in the thick 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 champ in each of his first two seasons, and his defense may 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 that he’s brought here and the culture that he’s built,” Anderson told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “The way that he played defense and the way he expects his defense to be played, he’s brought people 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 mesh really well together, we share the same mentality, and when you share the same 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 is hoping he can bring positive vibes from his help in the community to the field. With the help of Raising Cane’s, he attended a Boys & Girls Club in Houston to deliver bikes and helmets to celebrate the holiday season.
“It’s a blessing and I just give all thanks to 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 season of Christmas. So to be able to partner with Raising Cane’s and the Boys & Girls Club, it’s just been a blessed feeling,” Anderson said.
“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 awesome to see all the smiles and joy and cheerfulness on all the kids’ faces getting their new bikes and riding them around the gym.”
A division win would surely bring even more smiles to those same children’s faces, and the final stretch begins this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Will Anderson Jr. partnered with Raising Cane’s to give out gifts at a local Boys & Girls Club. (Raising Cane’s)
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“To go into this playoff push that we have, it’s a blessing,” he said. “I’m super excited for the challenge that we have coming up. We just got to keep executing the fundamentals, man, taking it one day at a time. Keep playing our brand football and just raising our standard of who we are the team, and just playing to our standards.”
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