Texans Coach Issues Major Challenge to Will Anderson Jr.

The Houston Texans defense is preparing for another season of being among one of the top collective units in the entire NFL, from the front seven to the secondary.

However, for the Texans defense to be taken to the next level, it may have to come with a major year three leap from star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who comes off his first Pro Bowl appearance since joining Houston two offseasons ago, but now enters his third season in the NFL with expectations to have yet another great year on this defensive front.

Nov 24, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) celebrate with cornerback Kamari Lassiter (4) after a tackle during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

And for Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke, for Anderson to take that next step in his development, it all starts with staying focused on fine-tuning the small aspects of his game in an effort to keep working his way up to one of the NFL's best; a challenge he's issued to his star edge rusher during Houston's offseason OTAs.

"The effort, and the intensity, and the energy is never going to be an issue," Burke said of Anderson during Texans OTAs. "So, I think the challenge that we put to Will is to fine-tune the details. What does it take to go from good to great, to elite, to the best? And as he's climbing that ladder, it gets harder and harder to make those steps up. Like, we know he's a good player, a great player, how do we keep climbing, fine-tuning, to become even better? He's on a mission."

During his last season in the mix for the Texans, he played in 14 games to put together 37 combined tackles, 16 TFLs, and 11 sacks as a huge part of this strong Houston pass rush, but now with another year of experience, an offseason of work under his belt, and the hunger and energy to continuously get better, the stage is set for a massive year three campaign from the 23-year-old.

The best part for Anderson? He'll get to do it all alongside another star pass rusher in Danielle Hunter on the other end of Houston's defensive line, making for what could be one of the NFL's most dominant edge rushing duos for the 2025 season.

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