Report: Houston Texans, Will Anderson Jr. ink three-year, $150 million extension

Houston Texans linebacker Will Anderson has signed an three-year, $150 million extension that makes the former Alabama standout the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with an annual salary of $50 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Anderson’s deal includes $134 million guaranteed.

Anderson’s new deal also includes a no-trade clause for the third-year NFL pro, a rare inclusion for such a young player. Of course, the 24-year-old Anderson isn’t any normal up-and-coming star. As evidenced by his new extension, Anderson is already considered among the game’s elite defenders.

The former No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Anderson quickly established himself as one of the league’s top pass rushers as a rookie and was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after tallying seven sacks and 45 tackles in 2023. Through three seasons, Anderson has 30 career sacks and is coming off back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks, including a career-high 12 and 20 tackles for loss in 2025 to earn his second career Pro Bowl appearance.

The Texans have been seeking to reach extensions with their top two selections in the 2023 NFL Draft — Anderson and quarterback C.J. Stroud — all offseason, with both expected to receive potential market-redefining deals. And now that Anderson is under contract for three more years, Houston can move on to locking down Stroud for the foreseeable future.

NFL Network analyst Ian Rapoport explained the Texans’ thinking during coverage of the 2026 NFL Combine in February.

“Deals come together when they come together,” Rapoport said at the time. “A lot of times, these happen later in the spring. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one happens, at some point, in the relatively near future. Mainly because what the Houston Texans have done and what Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans have established is a team that takes care of their stars. Every negotiation is a battle, but if you look at what the Texans have done, they have paid their guy.”

“…they make it a priority to reward the guys who should be rewarded. You look across that defense, and they got a lot of guys who are really good [and] who are going to make a lot of money. I would expect Will Anderson to be first, and I would expect him to be very, very worth it.”

Texas QB CJ Stroud may have to wait for his deal

Like Anderson, CJ Stroud started his NFL career with much acclaim, earning the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023. But it’s been a challenge to repeat that success over the past two seasons.

Adding injury to insult, Stroud also missed three games due to injury in 2025 and has was a clear problem in last year’s playoff loss at New England. Stroud threw a career-worst four interceptions in a 28-16 loss to the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round last season.

“Now, as far as C.J. Stroud goes, I wouldn’t be surprised if that waits a year just to let him have a little better year under his belt before he negotiates,” Rapoport concluded.

While player and team continue negotiating, the Texans exercised Stroud’s fifth-year option earlier this month that will keep him under contract through the 2027 season.

— On3’s Derek Lewis contributed to this report.