Newsweek Sports Exclusive: Houston Star Will Anderson Jr. Is Confident Texans Can Beat Anyone in the NFL

The Houston Texans were one of the most exciting and unpredictable teams in the playoffs in 2023. With rookie quarterback CJ Stroud showing off elite skills in his first season, leading to an offensive rookie of the year and a Pro Bowl nomination, as well as a playoff berth, the rest of the AFC was put on notice.

Another stellar player who earned Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors is defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who made his presence known from the start of the season. Anderson Jr. had seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits en route to his award-winning freshman season.

Anderson Jr. sat down with Newsweek Sports to talk about the work he’s doing with USAA to educate his local community about hurricane preparedness and what the 2024 season has in store for Texans.

Anderson Jr. was one of the most dominant rookies in 2023, and after earning DPOTY and a Pro Bowl nomination, the young defensive end opened up about what his goals are for the 2024 season.

“All of these things have been a blessing, but I know how much more I can give. I know how much I can improve. I’ve been focusing on that. That’s my whole thing: It’s time to improve,” Anderson Jr. said.

Anderson Jr. nearly had double-digit sacks in 2023 – he finished with seven in 15 games (13 starts) – and that’s one of the goals he plans to achieve during the 2024 season. When asked how many sacks he was targeting this season, Anderson Jr. said, “Double digits is all I’m going to say.”

The Texans were certainly a team that shocked the NFL, almost reaching the AFC Championship Game. After beating the Browns in the wild card round by a resounding final score of 45-14, Houston would be similarly defeated in the divisional round.

The Ravens finished Texas’ season with a final score of 34-10 in the playoff game. Despite the loss, the Texans continue to fight for the AFC crown. Anderson Jr. believes not only can the team beat the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, but they can compete with anyone.

“We have a really good team…a lot of really good additions to the team,” he said. “I just spent some time talking about these guys. Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon, Diggs, all these guys. They’ve been great additions to the team. They’ve been able to help the younger guys that are under them… I’m really excited about this team. I think we have what it takes to go out and compete with any other team.