NFL Insider Puts a Number on Will Anderson's Next Texans Contract

One of the big lingering questions still up in the air for the Houston Texans this offseason is just when a new contract extension will be hashed out for All-Pro edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

After a career-best season and a First-Team All-Pro nod in the books for an electric 2025 campaign, the clock is now ticking for the Texans to lock up their defensive cornerstone with a well-deserved pay raise now that he's officially eligible for his rookie extension walking into his fourth-year pro.

All signs point to that deal for Anderson eventually developing before getting into the motions of next season. And according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, the annual value on his next deal is bound to start with a four––as in coming out to at least $40 million a season.

"The price for elite pass rushers is only going up," Pelissero said. "Will Anderson Jr., in addition to being a top young pass rusher in the league, he's also one of their locker room guys."

"One of just the great, grounded, humble young men. That's the guy he is in the locker room. Very involved in the community. He's everything you want a Texan to be. There's a price on that, and it starts with a four, at least, for Will Anderson, Jr. The sooner you do that, the more you can get ahead of the marketplace for some of the other guys; they're gonna be coming up."

Will Anderson Slated for $40M+ Per Year on Next Contract

Headed into the 2026 season, the Texans have already accepted the fifth-year team option for both Anderson and C.J. Stroud to provide some added clarity for what their future looks like for at least the next two seasons.

But there's no doubt that, even with that two-year security in place, the Texans are eager to keep Anderson around for longer.

Since the Texans traded up to land him in the 2023 draft, he's gradually developed into one of the best young pass-rushers and run-stuffers in the game today, and also a perfect fit for Houston's unique team culture radiating through the building to make this defense as potent and violent as it is.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) leaves the field following an AFC Wild Card Round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

However, as Pelissero notes, that type of production, commitment, and week-in, week-out consistency does come with a high price tag to match, especially at a position like edge rusher that keeps getting more and more valuable each year.

It's a deal the Texans will keep at the top of their priority list in the weeks and months ahead this offseason, and probably won't start this year's training camp without a deal in place to avoid any outside distractions, and to lock in a long-term contracton their all-world defender.

Yet the consensus is more than clear: Houston will have to empty their pockets to cement their 2023 top-three pick on the books for the future.

"He's not gonna take a deal like Travon Walker just took. I'll tell you that," Pelissero continued. "27 and a half million a year... there's no chance he's taking that."

"This is gonna be a big-time deal in line with the Micah Parsons of the world. And we'll see exactly what that number ends up coming in at."

Rest assured that the Texans will be working behind the scenes to make that agreement happen in due time. And when that news inevitably drops, don't be shocked if it officially makes Anderson the league's highest-paid edge rusher on an AAV basis in the process.

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