HOUSTON – Will Anderson Jr. spoke with great clarity and confidence, a man who knows what he wants who’s earning a blockbuster, generational-wealth contract on the horizon in the next year.
The Texans’ Pro Bowl defensive end won’t be eligible for a new contract until after the 2025 season. Once he completes his third NFL season, the former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year can then be signed to a multiyear deal.
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While that will obviously be an expensive undertaking, it’s an investment the Texans are expected to embrace. And Anderson, a former third overall pick from Alabama where he was a consensus All-American, is more than open to negotiating with the defending AFC South champions.
“Most definitely, I want to be here the rest of my career honestly,” Anderson told KPRC 2. “As long as I can be here, that’s what I want, to be here.”
The Texans are building a strong track record of taking care of their homegrown talent.
The Texans negotiated a three-year, $90 million extension for All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., a former third overall pick from LSU, earlier this offseason that makes him the highest paid cornerback in the NFL in terms of new money.
The Texans briefly made Jalen Pitre the highest paid nickel in the NFL with a three-year, $42 million extension.
The Texans also rewarded Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter to an extension that pays him $55.1 million over the next two seasons, including $54.1 million guaranteed, with a $32 million cash payout this year.
“Those guys, they deserve it,” Anderson said. “They work really hard. They put a lot of hard work into their craft. And you see it on Sundays, and I’m excited to be part of that team building.”
Anderson Jr. recorded 11 sacks, two less than Hunter, and 16 tackles for losses with 19 quarterback hits last season with one forced fumble in just 14 games last season. He broke J.J. Watt’s rookie sack record with 7 1/2 sacks after Texans general manager Nick Caserio traded with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire Anderson, the highest graded player on the majority of all NFL draft boards.
Where will Anderson wind up in the rankings of highest paid edge rushers?
That list is topped by the Cleveland Browns’ Myle Garrett ($40 million annually), Hunter ($35.6 million), the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby (35.5 million), the San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa ($35 million) and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Josh Hines-Allen ($28.25 million).
Regardless of where the Texans wind up with Anderson in contract talks, he’s extremely enthused and focused about the outlook for a two-time defending AFC South champion coached by DeMeco Ryans.
"Man, the biggest thing is not deviating from the swarm mentality," Anderson said. “Everybody on board, everybody’s swarming, everybody playing the defense, everybody going out there flying to the ball, all 11 hats to the ball. That’s the type of defense we want to be, man. I’m excited.
“I’ve been seeing the guys work every day, man, been out there grinding in this heat, and it’s just good things to come for us. Man, I’ve not gonna lie, ever since that last game, I haven’t been able to stay composed. I love this group so much, man. I just see the potential of this team and how great we can be. And the guys we have in the locker room and the coaches we have.”
The Texans, 0-6 in the AFC divisional round, lost in the playoffs last season to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, they’re determined to make a long playoff run. They’re chasing a Super Bowl.
“Man, it’s fun,” Anderson said. “I’m really excited about this year, man. Both sides of the ball, just seeing everybody work, no complaining. Like, everybody’s just happy to be there. Everybody’s building bonds. The rookies just got there, man and they’re fitting right in. And I’m excited about the season. I know it’s going to be a good one for us.
“It’s very important. I think we try to do a really good job of setting what type of culture we want. So as soon as (rookies) got here, they know what we’re about, how we move, how we operate, how to work, and I think they’re fitting in just fine.”
When the Texans brokered the deal for Stingley Jr. to make him the new highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, the hefty financial deal represented something more than money.
It was about respect, Stingley resetting the marketplace for top corners and an organizational philosophy and message about drafting, developing, and, ideally, rewarding players in their prime who have earned long-term deals like Stingley and Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins.
Stingley receives a $25 million signing bonus and an average annual compensation milestone of $30 million in a blockbuster deal that has $89 million total guaranteed.
“Through Stingley’s extension, I think everybody can see the message there,” Ryans said during the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers one year after Pro Bowl wide receiver Collins received a three-year, $75 million extension. “We want to send a message to all of our young guys: When you do it the right way, guys like Stingley, Nico, young guys who came in and played really well for us, became top players in the league at their positions, you want to reward those guys. You want everyone to see we’re going to reward guys for doing it the right way.”
The Texans have a core of young players, including quarterback C.J. Stroud and Anderson who will be eligible for contract extensions next year after their third NFL seasons.
“The relentless mindset is so key and it’s all over our building right now and it’s really fun,” Hannah McNair said. “And Nick keeps drafting really well. It’s a great problem to have that we can’t keep everyone, but that speaks to Nick and DeMeco and getting the right guys in the building.”
A former third overall pick and consensus All-American from LSU, Stingley earned this status as an All-Pro selection last season with a total of seven interceptions, including two in the playoffs as he picked off Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
“It’s been extremely exciting and gratifying to see how he’s come on into the type of player Nick saw when he was drafting him out of LSU,” Texans owner Cal McNair said. “He missed some time at LSU and it was a bit of an unknown, but Nick really believed in him, scouts believed in him and the coaches. He worked on it. He put his head down.
“As you’ve seen, he’s a very humble but very hard working player that loves football, leaves it all on the field in practice and in games and has shown he’s an elite player and doing everything the right way. We were excited to go to him early and extend him and show that we appreciate all that he’s done and all that he’s accomplished.”
The Texans, as they did with Stingley, want to keep extending as many young players as possible.
“They’re setting the standard,” Cal McNair said. “They have come in and set the bar at a really high level. They’re great teammates and great leaders and we’re really happy to embrace that and get young players and continue to see them evolve and mature. We’re really looking forward to seeing where that chapter is going to lead.”
'We want to reward guys who do it the right way' #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on how message franchise sends rewarding top young players like All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. (Highest paid with 3 year, $90 million extensipn) is intentional, referenced Nico Collins, too @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/ai694gqo5K
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 31, 2025
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com