DeMeco Ryans Says Will Anderson Jr. Is Wrecking Texans Practice
After clawing back from a rocky 3-5 start, the Houston Texans tore through the second half of the 2025 season, finished 12-5, secured a road playoff win over Pittsburgh, then watched their Super Bowl hopes end in a 28-16 divisional-round loss to New England.
Even with the disappointing finish, the season reinforced that DeMeco Ryans knows how to build a winner.
In just three years, Ryans has led Houston to three straight winning seasons, three consecutive playoff appearances, and already owns the franchise record for playoff victories by a head coach.
Now, Ryans is shining a spotlight on the player who may be most responsible for making life miserable across the league.
Speaking with reporters during OTAs on Thursday, Ryans joked that he may need to sit star edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. because the offense needs to "actually practice."
"Will continues to wreck practice," Ryans said. "I'm probably going to have to sit him soon … He just keeps wrecking practice. Just keep doing that. Keep causing havoc. That’s what he does."
"Will is the guy for everyone to watch. The intensity at which we operate, that’s how Will Anderson plays, that’s how I want everybody to be," he added.
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The former No. 3 overall pick arrived from Alabama in 2023 after Houston aggressively traded up to get him.
He immediately validated the move by winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, recording seven sacks, 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 22 quarterback hits.
And somehow, he’s only gotten better.
By 2025, Anderson had delivered a career year with 12 sacks, 54 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 23 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 85 pressures.
He earned first-team All-Pro honors, made his second Pro Bowl, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Houston rewarded him accordingly.
In April, the Texans signed Anderson to a three-year, $150 million extension with $134 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football and tying his future to Houston's championship window through the end of the decade.
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Under Ryans, the Texans' identity runs through defensive violence, relentless pressure, and what the coach calls S.W.A.R.M. football.
Anderson is the living prototype.
And if he's already "wrecking practice" in May, the rest of the NFL may not like what's coming in September.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 9:02 PM.