Will Anderson Jr. eyes breakout NFL season

Houston Texans star Will Anderson Jr. is aiming to elevate his game by improving consistency and creating more impact plays like strip sacks, as he enters his second NFL season with high expectations.

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. says increased consistency and playmaking are his focus as he works to elevate his game and reputation among the NFL’s elite pass rushers, following a promising season and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Anderson, who sat out Week 18 as a precaution ahead of the Texans’ playoff run, told the Ross Tucker Football Podcast that while he “felt great” physically, coaches wanted him fully healthy for the postseason. “I wanted to play,” Anderson said, “but the coach was like, ‘I just need you ready for the postseason.’ … My body was great. I could go out there and perform to my highest level”.

Reflecting on his 2024 campaign, Anderson emphasized the importance of consistency and the need to enhance his impact plays. “It can’t be a drop-off,” Anderson said of his goals. “Staying healthy… and just more, doing more. Sacks are going to come, but doing more like more forced fumbles, got to get the ball out more when you’re sacking the quarterback. … That’s one of my offseason things I want to work on — really going for the ball, getting more of those strip sacks”.

Anderson also described his approach to maintaining his optimal playing weight, stating he feels “lighter, faster, quicker, more explosive” at 253 pounds after reaching nearly 270 earlier in the season, which he said negatively impacted his performance.

Asked which NFL defenders he studies, Anderson highlighted Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett as standout models for technique and production, citing Bosa’s “amazing leverage” and hand usage, and Max Crosby’s ability to vary tempo as examples of areas he hopes to emulate.

“I just want to continue to get better, be consistent, and keep growing and learning,” Anderson said, adding that he feels there is still “more left on the table” and he remains “hungry” heading into the next season.