Will Anderson cleared off injury report for Week 5

Anderson popped up on the injury report with an ankle issue to open the week. As one of the league’s elite pass-rushers, the 25-year-old is a key cog to the Texans defense. He did not practice Wednesday, putting his Week 5 status in jeopardy. Anderson still has chances to practice later this week and play against the Titans, but any time missed puts the 0-4 Texans in an even deeper hole.

Anderson’s deal will make him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. The star pass rusher will receiver $134 million in guaranteed money on his new deal and is now under contract with the Texans through the 2023 season. Anderson entered the league in 2023 after molding himself into the nation’s top pass rusher at Alabama. He has shown steady growth during each of his three seasons and has posted double-digit sack totals in each of his last two seasons, earning First-team All-Pro honors in 2025 while finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. With Anderson now extended, the Texans can now shift their focus to C.J. Stroud, whose fifth-year option they recently picked up to keep him under contract through 2027. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Anderson’s deal will also include a no-trade clause.

The Texans and Anderson have been mutually interested in an extension for most of the offseason, though it hasn’t happened yet. The sticker shock is surely there reading "$50 million a year,” but it’s essentially no different than the $46 million that Micah Parsons got per season as part of his trade to the Packers given inflation. It shouldn’t surprise anyone when the deal comes in this high, but the rest of Houston’s offseason maneuverings (how much cap space do they still need available for 2026, etc) could be holding the extension up given just how large the contract will be.

Anderson has been a star pass rusher since being drafted No. 3 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He totaled 23 sacks over the past two seasons and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2025. With the fifth-year option, Anderson is now set to make $21.512 million in 2027. The Texans will certainly want to extend the 24-year-old as a cornerstone of the defense, but they get him under contract for an additional year for now. Anderson will be headed to reset the pass-rushing market with a prospective extension.

Anderson has totaled 23 sacks over the last two seasons and has wasted little time establishing himself as a premier pass-rusher in the league. The former No. 3 overall pick is entering the fourth-year of his contract and will have his fifth-year option picked at some point in the coming weeks. When he signs his deal, Anderson, 24, could reset the market for pass rushers.

He practiced in full on Friday and should be fine. In IDP leagues, it would be a disappointment if Anderson did not provide at least a half-sack or so against a Chiefs offensive line that looks likely to be down several starter.

DeMeco Ryans said yesterday that Anderson would be fine. He’s been receiving some sporadic rest under the chest tag over the past couple of weeks. He’ll likely be cleared off the injury report on Friday.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters earlier today that Anderson will be fine. The DNP is likely just a rest day for the cornerstone of the Texans’ defense. Anderson has 10.5 sacks and three forced fumbles this year. He should return to practice later this week. We fully expect to see him on the field, giving Patrick Mahomes trouble on Sunday.

He will be around to harass Trevor Lawrence on Sunday. Jalen Pitre (concussion) was ruled out, giving some extra space for Parker Washington to move around in the slot against Houston’s backup cornerbacks.

It’s an upgrade for Anderson after Wednesday’s DNP, it seems like there’s a real chance he’ll be one of the few Texans on the injury report to actually play in this week’s game against Jacksonville. Jalen Pitre (concussion) DNPed for a second day in a row, while Denico Autry (knee) also upgraded to limited.