HOUSTON (AP) — Will Anderson Jr. wasn’t really interested in football as a young child but finally tried it at his family’s urging as he approached high school.
Back then he was a running back, but soon his coach informed him that he’d be moving to defensive end.
Despite his trepidation, Anderson quickly excelled at the position and on Tuesday he celebrated signing his three-year, $150 million contract extension with the Houston Texans that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
“It worked out,” he said drawing laughs from everyone in the room.
The extension includes $134 million in guaranteed money.
The $50 million per year Anderson will earn surpasses the $46.5 million per year defensive end Micah Parsons got when he signed a four-year extension with the Packers after a trade from Dallas last year.
“I’ve been so overwhelmed with joy these last couple of days, nonstop tears, and it’s been a blessing,” Anderson said. “And I think for me, I love what I do, and I tell people all the time — they’re like oh, the money… it’s really never ever been about the money for me. It’s always just been about walking to my purpose and doing what God has called me to do.”
The Texans selected Anderson with the third pick in the 2023 draft, trading up to nab the Alabama standout after selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud second in that draft.
Anderson, the 2023 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, started each game last season and had 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss — both career highs — to lead a Houston defense that was among the best in the NFL.
His work last season earned him a spot on first team of The Associated Press All-Pro team and he was a finalist for AP Defensive Player of the Year.
In three seasons with the Texans, the 24-year-old Anderson has piled up 30 sacks and 136 tackles, including 46 for loss. He also has 64 quarterback hits in his career and has forced four fumbles and recovered three.
The Texans exercised his fifth-year player option earlier this month so this deal will keep him in Houston through the 2030 season.
His agent Nicole Lynn was asked how the negotiations with Houston general manager Nick Caserio began.
“Nick and I have a really good relationship,” she said. “I don’t know exactly where it started. I think Nick called me, but I think we kind of all knew that it was time for him to get paid.”
Everyone in the Texans’ organization raves about Anderson’s mentality and work ethic. Defensive line coach Rod Wright said that’s what makes him so deserving of this contract.
“The impression he makes on people is like, I’m going to outwork you, I’m going to out study you and he sets the bar for everyone,” Wright said.
Now that Anderson knows he’s going to be in Houston for a long time to come, he’s focused on helping the Texans reach new heights. Houston, which has never been to a conference title game, has lost in the divisional round of the playoffs in each of Anderson’s three seasons.
“Ask me about contract, yeah, the contract is cool, but ask me about winning, that’s more important,” he said. “How we get over this hump, how we can get past the second round is what’s been on my mind.”
According to Next Gen Stats, Anderson ranked second in the NFL last season with 85 total pressures and his 48 pressures on third down were the most by a player since the stat began being tracked in 2014.
While Anderson appreciates those numbers, to him it just means he’s coming up short on getting to the quarterback.