Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. couldn’t help but laugh when told that he “looks bigger” entering the 2026 season.
Last week, a photo before the start of OTAs went viral of Anderson walking onto the practice field. Anderson, fresh off an All-Pro season last fall, looked as if he ate the former version of himself as a pregame snack and absorbed all his powers in a new-look frame.
Spaces like X and search engines will always reign supreme, but so does the term, ‘don’t believe everything you see on the internet.’ That included the hefty weight of the Texans’ All-Pro defensive end, who made it clear he’s simply been working out intensely and concentrating on a healthy diet.
Of course, he also read the comments online.
“I did not put on 25 pounds of muscle!” Anderson told KPRC 2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson over the weekend. “I do not know where that came from. I would just say I did take a better job this offseason of dieting and getting with myself and just toning my body.”
So fans believed that Anderson bulked up from the 260s up into the 290-pound range. In retrospect, targeting the right muscles and a proper diet led to Anderson’s weight only spiking a little, going from the mid-250’s to about 260 pounds.
“I appreciate the Texans and the team that I work with in the offseason is just dialing in the little things,” Anderson said. “So, just toning my muscles up, getting more flexible, getting more mobile and stuff like that.”
Even if Anderson didn’t gain weight, he looks the part. That’s the terrifying part for offensive coordinators to mauver around this fall while trying to slow down one of the NFL’s cornerstones on the defensive side entering 2026.
Anderson looks unblockable going through drills at OTA practice. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans joked last month that he might be forced to sit the former No. 3 overall pick so that way the team ‘could be able to actually practice’ for a few drills.
But Anderson laughed that off, too. He’s become the most feared defensive lineman wearing a Texans’ uniform since future Hall of Fame first-ballot pick J.J. Watt tore up the sidelines.
Much like Anderson, he too, could have been held out some plays in full-team drills just to see work get done ahead of a game.
“I love the process. For me, the preparation, the process, it has to be consistent. And the only way it would be consistent is if you practice the way you want to play in the game. I approach practice in a way that I’m playing in the game. So, when the game comes, it’s a little easier.”
Since entering the NFL, Anderson has 30 career sacks, including a career-best 12 last season. He recently became the highest-paid non-QB in terms of annual salary when he signed a three-year deal worth $150 million earlier this offseason, meaning he’ll become the face of franchise, something he’s embraced since being selected out Alabama.
“Nothing that Will does surprises me,” Texans Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter said earlier this offseason. “During football, outside of football, nothing that he does surprises me. He’s one of a kind. So, I feel like whenever I see Will wreck a play up in practice or in a game, I’m just like, ‘Good job, do it again,’ because I know he’s like, he’s going to do it again and again and again. I feel like he hasn’t even tapped into the level that he really wants to tap into and that’s the scary part.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. sets the record straight on his rapid weight gain controversy
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
